The City of Berkley operates on a fiscal year for our budgeting purposes. The current Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2026 covers July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026, and we prepare a draft for the following fiscal year in tandem to keep us and our priorities on track.

The draft of the City Manager’s recommended budget for FY 2026-2027 (covering July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027) will be available to community members and the City Council on March 13 this year, ahead of Budget Work Sessions on March 25 and 26 and allowing extra review time before the Mayor and City Council approves and adopts the finalized budget in a public hearing in May. It’s important to remember that the recommended documents published in March are working draft documents until the budget is approved and adopted by the Mayor and City Council.

Between the publication of the City Manager’s recommended budget and the adoption of the finalized budget, revisions are made based on input from the City Council and community members. The City Council hosts public work sessions in advance of the public hearing, where the community is welcome to attend to learn more about each department’s proposed budget before it is approved. The 2026 Budget Work Sessions are on March 25 and 26 at 6 PM in the Public Safety Conference room. To listen to the audio of the 2025 work session meeting, click here and here.

The budget process is collaborative, and community members are encouraged to attend a work session or reach out to the City Manager’s Office (cmo@berkleymi.gov) directly with questions about the City’s priorities and budget allocations.

A Note About Budget Amendments
While we adhere to a strict timeline to adopt each fiscal year’s budget, our overall budgeting process is ongoing and doesn’t take a break. Budget amendments are presented to City Council each quarter as needed and keep our community aware of shifts in planned expenditures and revenues. Much like a household budget, unexpected costs can occur due to issues such as aging infrastructure, staff level fluctuations, unavoidable contractual increases, and rising inflation. Preparing and publicly presenting the quarterly budget amendments when needed to be approved by City Council allows us to maintain a balanced budget while reallocating funds as necessary to continue delivering excellent services to our community.  

Questions about the budget process or the fiscal year’s budget? Reach out to the City Manager’s Office at cmo@berkleymi.gov or 248-658-3350.