The City of Horn Lake has adopted a $41.2 million operating plan for the coming year. The new Horn Lake budget for fiscal year 2027 grows the city’s general fund, puts more money into police and street work, and trims utility spending, with no federal pandemic relief (ARPA) money budgeted this year. The budget, adopted Sept. 1, 2026, and signed by Mayor Jimmy Stokes II and City Administrator Tanya R. Carter, was posted on the city’s website this month.
Like other Mississippi cities, Horn Lake runs on a fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, so the new spending plan takes effect next week.
Horn Lake budget by the numbers
A comparison of the FY 2027 budget with the FY 2026 budget, both published by the city, shows these changes:
Total city operating funds: $41,196,984, down from $42,676,492, a drop of about $1.48 million (3.5%)
General fund: $33,001,676, up from $32,101,835, an increase of about $900,000 (2.8%)
General property tax to be raised: $11.4 million, up from about $11.1 million
State shared revenues: $9.2 million, up from $9.085 million
Utility fund: $5.5 million, down from $7.9 million
Public safety gets the largest share
Police and fire together make up nearly half of Horn Lake’s general fund.
Police: $8.44 million, up about $322,000 from $8.12 million last year. The increase includes $200,000 for vehicles, compared with $50,000 in FY 2026, and $645,000 for supplies, up from $485,000.
Fire and EMS: $7.98 million, about the same as last year’s $7.95 million. Personnel spending rises to about $7.1 million, while no money is set aside for new vehicles.
More money for streets and technology
The city’s Municipal Street Project Fund rises from $2 million to $3 million. The Streets Department budget is $2.2 million, including $500,000 for street and traffic light projects.
Other notable changes in the general fund include:
Information technology: about $1.03 million, nearly double last year’s $534,000
Animal control: $660,000, up from $493,000
Parks and recreation: $1.29 million, up slightly from $1.27 million
Code enforcement: $364,000, down from $425,000
Why utility spending falls
Most of the drop in the overall budget comes from the utility fund. Last year’s budget included $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) project funds and $3.75 million in utility capital outlay. Neither appears at that level in FY 2027, which lists no ARPA money and $50,000 in capital outlay. Water sales are projected at about $2.1 million, down from $2.68 million, while sewer revenue holds at $3 million.
Debt, library and tourism funds
Debt service rises to about $2.03 million, up from $1.92 million. That money covers bonds for past construction work, the city hall renovation and the animal shelter. The city’s library fund grows to about $312,000, and the hotel/motel tax fund used for economic development is budgeted at $350,000, down from $425,000.
Residents can read the full adopted budget on the City of Horn Lake website, and questions about specific line items can be directed to City Hall or to the Horn Lake Board of Aldermen at its regular meetings.
