Roswell's budget survey drew 958 people, rating police and fire highly but roads and growth more mixed. Parks are short 240 staff hours a week, the city says.
Roswell residents who answered the city’s budget survey rated police and fire highly, but gave roads, traffic and growth more mixed marks. The city published the findings Wednesday, two days before the mayor and City Council sit down for a full-day budget workshop.
The city also posted a set of facts about where its departments say they are stretched. Parks maintenance is short an estimated 240 staff hours a week this year. Some recreation programs have been cut, including reduced-fee swim lessons for low-income families.
Both come from the city’s new Budget in Focus page, part of the run-up to a vote on the 2027 budget on Dec. 7. That budget is built on a 1-mill increase in the city tax rate.
What the survey found
The city says 958 people answered its community budget survey. Its one-page summary of the results records 945 answers to the question asking who was taking part. Participation varied by question. The city notes the results reflect the people who answered, not necessarily all Roswell residents.
The summary does not publish percentages or scores. It groups the findings like this.
What people value most
- Police and fire received among the strongest importance ratings and were rated highly for how well they work.
- Water, sanitation, recycling and stormwater were rated important by most respondents.
- Parks, recreation programs and community amenities were rated highly important, with generally positive ratings for how well they work.
Where people see room to improve
- Transportation was rated important, but its effectiveness ratings were more mixed. Written comments repeatedly raised road conditions, traffic, sidewalks, bike access and pedestrian safety.
- Community Development drew comparatively mixed ratings. Comments raised zoning, permits, redevelopment, neighborhood character and the effect of growth on roads and services.
- Many asked the city to keep up the parks, recreation buildings, roads and public spaces it already has, alongside any new projects.
Written comments also split over downtown parking, development, historic and cultural spending and where the city could cut. Other recurring themes were East Roswell revitalization, staffing and public safety resources, fiscal responsibility and openness about budget decisions.
The city said the survey is one input among several. The findings “do not by themselves determine funding decisions,” the summary said.
Where the city says it is stretched
The Budget in Focus page answers questions department by department. The figures below are the city’s own.
| Department | What the city reports |
|---|---|
| Parks maintenance | An estimated 240-hour weekly staffing shortfall in fiscal 2026, which could grow to about 385 hours a week in 2027 at this year’s funding as new facilities open |
| Recreation | Some programs eliminated to recover costs, including certain active adult programs and reduced-fee swim lessons for low-income families; part-time budgets cut, with changes to facility hours |
| Transportation | Administrative staff cut from four to two, which the city says has slowed answers to questions about paving, potholes, projects and signal timing |
| Roadside mowing | Landscape crews took on work a right-of-way contract used to cover, and mow each area about once a month |
| Community Development | One arborist handles more than 200 tree permits a month; staff handle an average of 140 open records requests a month since the records coordinator post was cut in 2023 |
| Facilities | About 300 to 350 work orders a month, about 50 outstanding, finished in about a week on average |
Not every change is a cut. Stormwater added five full-time positions to bring contracted work in-house, the city said. Economic Development added three full-time positions for the same reason, which the department said saved money.
The biggest growth has been in the Fire Department. Of the 138 full-time positions added citywide since fiscal 2022, 103 were in fire, the city said. That reflects the move to a full-time fire service, which now staffs seven stations and 14 units across three shifts. The proposed budget pays for the final year of that change.
The budget calendar
The city lists these meetings. Residents can speak at the Nov. 9 and Dec. 7 meetings. The workshops are open to watch, with no public comment.
- Friday, Nov. 6: budget workshop, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., East Roswell Recreation Center, 9000 Fouts Road
- Monday, Nov. 9: first reading, 7 p.m., City Hall, 38 Hill St.
- Friday, Nov. 20: budget workshop, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Bill Johnson Community Activity Building, 10495 Woodstock Road
- Monday, Dec. 7: second reading and scheduled adoption, 7 p.m., City Hall
What it means for you
- The survey is closed, but comment is not. Public comment on the budget is open at the 7 p.m. meetings Monday, Nov. 9, and Monday, Dec. 7, at City Hall.
- Watch the workshops. Friday’s session is where the mayor and council question staff on each department’s requests, including parks and transportation staffing.
- Read the numbers yourself. The proposed 2027 budget is online. Our story on the proposal explains what the extra mill would cost on a typical home.
- Check this year’s bill. The 2026 rate is set. Our story on the 2026 rate has the figures.
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