HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Huntsville City Council met Friday in a special session to hear city officials propose the budget for fiscal year 2026, and the total exceeds $343 million.
Mayor Tommy Battle said he wants to address public safety, improve infrastructure and positively impact residents’ quality of life.
Huntsville Police and Huntsville Fire & Rescue are receiving the largest shares of the budget. Huntsville Police is getting 26% of it, amounting to more than $80 million. The fire department is receiving 21% of the budget, equivalent to $65.5 million.
The budget proposal states that both agencies will use the funding mostly toward staffing. Huntsville Police plan to hire 10 new officers, and Huntsville Fire is looking to add an additional firefighter.
Huntsville City Councilwoman Michelle Watkins said she is in full support of maintaining a high degree of safety in the city, but says she is disappointed that facility improvements are not in the budget after she saw some of the firehouses.
“They’re absolutely deplorable. And for our firefighters to live there overnight is unacceptable,” Watkins said. “So I’m advocating for our fire stations. No, we can’t replace them all at one time, but we’ve got to start making some strides.”
Huntsville City Director of Urban & Economic Development Shane Davis said there are plenty of road projects funded in the budget that residents should be excited about, from the continuation of the Northern Bypass Project to adding more entrance points to Redstone Arsenal.
Davis said the 10-year capital plan from 2014 allotted for the tremendous growth Huntsville is experiencing.
“We prepared 10 years ago with these new capital plans for the growth we’re experiencing,” Davis said. “There’s no need to panic, you know, with Space Command announcements. Great, we’re prepared for that both in public safety, quality of life amenities, in transportation, and in our residential affordability.”
Davis said Space Command coming to Huntsville has not caused any new Federal grants to be issued for road improvements.
Friday’s special session was just the budget proposal. Huntsville City Council will vote on the budget during its next meeting on September 25.
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