Editor’s Note: Below is a story about Town Council approving the annual budget Monday night — after that are the minutes from May’s special meeting about that same budget. Since we’re not like the federal government who can print money to fill holes, give praise to Town Council for adopting a balanced budget. If you want to view the budget, it is available at Town Hall.
Tangier Town Council adopts $1.49M budget for fiscal year 2026-27
Spending plan projects $19,299 net surplus across all town funds; Water and Sewer fund posts $6,092 deficit
Monday, June 8, Tangier Town Council adopted a $1.49 million budget for fiscal year 2026-27, approving a spending plan that projects a modest $19,299 net surplus across all town funds while flagging continued strain in the Water and Sewer fund.
The FY 2027 budget totals $1,488,852 in projected revenues against $1,469,553 in expenses. The plan covers five fund areas: the General Fund, the Fuel Dock, Trash, Water and Sewer, and a Department of Environmental Quality grant fund.
| Fund | Revenues | Expenses | Net |
| General Fund | $147,530 | $147,537 | -$7 |
| Fuel Dock | $871,242 | $851,908 | $19,334 |
| Trash | $23,964 | $17,900 | $6,064 |
| Water and Sewer | $172,116 | $178,208 | -$6,092 |
| Grants – DEQ | $274,000 | $274,000 | $0 |
| TOTAL | $1,488,852 | $1,469,553 | $19,299 |
The Fuel Dock is the town’s largest revenue-generating fund, projecting $871,242 in income against $851,908 in expenses for a net gain of $19,334. The Trash fund and Fuel Dock are the only two funds expected to generate surpluses in the coming year.
The Water and Sewer fund remains the budget’s most significant pressure point, with projected revenues of $172,116 falling $6,092 short of $178,208 in anticipated expenses. The General Fund is essentially balanced, showing a negligible $7 deficit.
A $274,000 DEQ grant fund is included in the budget at a net of zero, with revenues and expenses matching exactly, as is typical for pass-through grant accounts.
Budget documents note that the plan does not include unpaid federal and state taxes from prior years, a caveat that underscores the ongoing fiscal pressures facing the small Chesapeake Bay island community.
Tangier, a remote island in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay accessible only by boat or small aircraft, has struggled for years with a shrinking population, aging infrastructure, and limited tax base. The island’s roughly 400 residents depend heavily on the commercial crabbing industry and, increasingly, tourism. The adopted budget represents the town’s operating plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026.
Tangier Town Council Minutes
Special Public Session Presenting the FY2027 Town Budget
The below minutes are APPROVED as voted on at the June 5th meeting.
Meeting Date: May 29th, 2026 Meeting Location: Town Office
Council Members Present:
• Beth Thomas, Vice Mayor
• Tracy Pruitt
• Kelly Wheatley
Council Members Absent:
• Normand St. Pierre
• Anna Parks
• Mayor James “Ooker” Eskridge
• Tommy Eskridge
One member of the Tangier community was in attendance.
Call to Order:
Vice Mayor Beth Thomas called the meeting to order at 6:05 pm and stated that the meeting would be recorded and that this was a single-issue meeting and that it was to be kept strictly to the Presentation of the FY2027
Town Budget
Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance
The opening invocation was given by Mayor James Eskridge. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Beth Thomas.
Presentation of the FY2027 Town Budget: Normand St. Pierre’
Normand St. Pierre’ advised that a printed copy of the proposed FY 2027 Town Budget will be available at the Town Office, upon request. He went on to say that this proposed budget is preliminary, due to the unknown amount of unpaid employee payroll taxes from previous years. The new town accountant is working diligently to discover the total amount of unpaid taxes, estimated to be approximately $150,000.00. The accountant advises that she should be able to report on the exact amount within the next few weeks.
He stated that all of the accounting for the Town needed to be brought into one system, that the accountant, Town Council and the Town Manager would have access to. A possible solution would be a server installed at the Town Office, allowing real-time access to data, on the status of the Town’s finances.
Normand went on to caution that the General Fund total revenues would need to be enhanced over the coming years. He suggested the possibility of raising property taxes and the landing fee at the airport.
A discussion ensued among the council members present, regarding the fact that the Town’s financial situation should improve over the coming fiscal year, due to several large loans being paid off. These loans include the fuel dock loan and one of the wastewater treatment plant loans.
Normand suggested that the Town Council members write letters to our representatives in the U.S. Congress, asking for assistance in getting the large USDA loan on the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP) forgiven.
A copy of the printed proposed FY2027 Budget is attached to these minutes.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:30 p.m.
The Council will vote on this proposed budget at the June 5th meeting.
Tangier Island, Virginia 