[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6296434,"mediaKeyId","2515768-6d47426e4a41061aa6cd18013e129fb5","parentId",2515768,"title","Huntington mayor presents flat $78 million FY26 budget, warns of shrinking federal grants and growing liabilities","audioSeconds",2529,"startMs",137000,"endMs",2666000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2515768-6d47426e4a41061aa6cd18013e129fb5&start=137&end=2666","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2515768-6d47426e4a41061aa6cd18013e129fb5/thumbnail_137000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6296434/Huntington/Cabell-County/West-Virginia/Huntington-mayor-presents-flat-78-million-FY26-budget-warns-of-shrinking-federal-grants-and-growing-liabilities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296434-6e9141555dede8aaed33c39f35b782dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164642&Signature=M3TkiTuKCbamZF5w-uGUsEYOkH-Mbp~Us3~4dYeYd5UQtEuL7yf4jftyiVdBRFArCiHRXiFtAN8MvzsPAXme7~LrLdrgH0jEpEDc3HiMnU9X~3SvDYiAXJjaZ70sJnwyCG0tacZTRJfyAbNVOrtG49J~JUgj8-kOBqzA8cvrwTSIaFbj6B0cvQ2vSgKDzEvK4jWrCeGO19YFwbiLRk32Dky43Aw6z~kackW7Cf5bl-bUI-2884sYvcRgjX8CHL7~kaq7Y-Sc0Oaowsnhvhm9eRURaFfqBJdlRPOpOAPl0heYtlMwAgzwxgm4kwKZ-oGvd8MEh1Q5c9ZS54i2fvjKjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Huntington, WV","date","2025-02-10T00:00:00Z","article","Mayor Steve Farrell on Monday delivered the required budget message to Huntington City Council, proposing a largely flat fiscal year 2026 general-fund budget of about $78 million and warning that shrinking federal grants and falling tax receipts will put pressure on the city’s cash position.

Farrell said the city’s top-line revenues have fallen from a COVID-era peak and that federal grant funding that boosted recent years is likely to decline. “Our biggest revenue source comes from taxes and fees. And the slope of that line is on a downward trajectory,” Farrell said. He added that the city has about $15,000,000 in delinquent taxes and fees that reduce available cash.

The mayor framed the budget as a disciplined, priority-driven plan: full funding for police and fire, more infrastructure spending, and steps to spur economic growth. “Public safety is job number one. The second thing is infrastructure. And the third is economic growth,” he said, summarizing the administration’s priorities.

Why it matters: Farrell said Huntington faces rising costs — notably health insurance and personnel — even as revenue sources contract. He estimated roughly $250,000,000 in combined unfunded liabilities across city entities, including an actuarial shortfall of about $123,000,000 tied to pension/retirement liabilities and roughly $93,000,000 in other post-employment benefits such as health care and vacation payouts. The city also faces a projected closure cost for the Deeds Hollow landfill of about $30,000,000, for which only “a couple million” has been set aside.

Key proposals and details
- FY26 top line: Farrell proposed a flat general-fund budget of about $78,000,000 (the fiscal year begins July 1). The administration will present budget hearings in the coming weeks, with hearings scheduled by council staff; Farrell said he looked forward to the March budget hearings.
- Revenue outlook: The mayor’s team projects business-and-occupation (B&O) tax receipts will finish FY25 in the $15–$16 million range (down from earlier peaks) and sales tax collections have fallen from a FY24 peak near $10 million. Federal grants accounted for a large share of recent revenue spikes; the mayor said total grants are expected to be roughly $11.4 million in the near term but cautioned future federal funding is uncertain.
- Reserves and resiliency: Farrell said a prudent target for an operating reserve is about $11,000,000 (roughly two months of operating expenses, per Government Finance Officers Association guidance). He estimated the city will close FY25 with an unassigned fund balance between $7,000,000 and $9,000,000, below the resiliency target.
- Liabilities and enterprise funds: The Water Quality Board carries about $20,000,000 in notes and bonds; HMDA (Huntington Municipal Development Authority) has roughly $6,000,000 in notes; sanitation/trash is an enterprise fund losing about $400,000 annually and had a one-time FY21 loss of $2,600,000. The Marshall Health Network Arena is subsidized by the general fund and cost about $900,000 in the year that ended June 30, 2024.
- Program adjustments: The administration proposes cutting some discretionary contributions to community organizations (from about $3.6–$3.8 million in recent years to roughly $2.7 million next year) to prioritize essential services. The mayor also proposed a $250,000 allocation in the budget for jail-related costs and flagged increased legal expenses.
- Targeted initiatives: The mayor reiterated support for an Innovation District downtown and several redevelopment parcels (the Foundry, ACF lot, Highline District) and said he will emphasize a veteran-focused homeless pilot project to work toward “functional zero” veteran homelessness.
- Emergency response and infrastructure: In response to recent flash flooding, Farrell announced the city has designated the extension of Ritter Boulevard as a secondary emergency-evacuation route for Enslow Park and said the city will provide public notice of that route. He stressed longer-term flood fixes require federal partners such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Public comment and council response
During the meeting’s public-comment period, residents described recent residential basement flooding and asked for clarity on responsibilities and timelines for mitigation. Ben Seay, who lives on North Boulevard West, told council his home flooded and asked “where do we go in terms of trying to understand what the next steps are, who’s responsible, and create a timeline for flooding issues in our city.” Farrell had previously acknowledged ongoing flooding problems and told council the city will seek federal partnerships for larger engineering fixes.

A speaker identifying herself as Brianna Bowen urged council to remember and continue supporting the Cabell County Public Library system as members review the budget, citing library usage statistics and the community role of the system.

Next steps and administration notes
Farrell said the FY26 budget will be presented to council for consideration in the coming budget hearings and that his administration will continue to refine assumptions, particularly on health-insurance costs and grant forecasts. He described the FY26 plan as “transparent” and “forward-looking” and asked council to prioritize the essential services identified in his message.

Ending
Farrell closed by saying the administration will focus on ordinary government functions done well: “We just need to do the ordinary things extraordinarily well.” He invited council and the public to the scheduled budget hearings to review the detailed budget documents and line items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Huntington Council Meeting 2/10/25","oneSentenceSummary","Mayor Steve Farrell on Monday presented a proposed FY26 general-fund budget of about $78 million and warned federal grants and tax receipts that bolstered recent years are declining, leaving the city below an $11 million resiliency benchmark and facing roughly $250 million in combined unfunded liabilities.","taxTitle","Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia","taxId",2634,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6296427,"Votes at a glance: council approves right-of-way transfer, alley vacation, 311 renewal, fuel contract and multiple board appointments",360,2687000,3047000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2515768-6d47426e4a41061aa6cd18013e129fb5&start=2687&end=3047","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2515768-6d47426e4a41061aa6cd18013e129fb5/thumbnail_2687000.jpg","/articles/6296427/Huntington/Cabell-County/West-Virginia/Votes-at-a-glance-council-approves-right-of-way-transfer-alley-vacation-311-renewal-fuel-contract-and-multiple-board-appointments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6296427-56ea08b05d90814a7e0453e4c05bf318/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164642&Signature=FqBC7m7qA38ZFeajkRu8oC9M6YOv1LtPv~skM3MlpG49nx3KrwUadoYAziCPSS7623jJ9Mi3waIWcHoTVwuQBfxWl5fjeOXvZLz684iVaqwNehZepALiObxxssBLkzyOE1ipC7lHblG2NkAW8c4SFvhOJq66qRCMBLuLxYdAmcNFtfaTU0m8woMSck2bBzyiIQInfTz-0CoJ3HAzuUK7ftNkBh7u56kHvOtYDzK-5S7VZferk2IXlHOPqYSOVYMjOfAZ85bDRtbqV5nKgD17Mg7wcVX9zOWkROJc6ZVQXaeTsJvhANt1cNtMqj4eF0xt0Mg68EZ37d-JyTj2F~ecfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Huntington City Council on Feb. 10 approved a series of ordinances, resolutions and appointments that city staff said will clear routine property, service and staffing matters ahead of the budget hearings.

Items the council approved
- Deed transferring a right-of-way to West Virginia Division of Highways (Ordinance 2025-O-02, second reading): The council adopted an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute a deed conveying a non–controlled-access strip of right-of-way in front of the Huntington Housing Authority property on Halgore Boulevard to the West Virginia Division of Highways. Acting City Attorney Scott Dammer described the parcel as roughly 350 feet wide by 10 feet deep and said the transfer aligns ownership with ongoing roadwork. The zoning committee forwarded the ordinance with a favorable recommendation and council approved the second reading by roll call vote. Outcome: approved.

- Alley vacation (Ordinance 2025-O-03, second reading): Council adopted an ordinance vacating a 10-foot-wide by 120-foot-long portion of an alley south of Tenth Avenue, east of and parallel to Twentieth Street. Attorney Kate Daniel, representing OEO Real Estate LLC, told council the applicant owns properties on both sides of the alley and plans easements for existing sewer facilities. The zoning committee recommended approval and council approved the ordinance on second reading. Outcome: approved.

- CivicPlus 311 annual renewal (Resolution 2025-R-04): The council approved a one-year renewal with CivicPlus for the city’s “SeeClickFix Huntington 311” smartphone application. Mark Bates, public works director, said the March 2025–February 2026 renewal will cost $27,390 and is paid from the IT contracted-services budget line. Bates reported 19,733 total issues fixed since the system went online in January 2022, with 5,874 service requests in 2024 and 5,413 closed in 2024. Outcome: approved.

- Fuel services contract for Public Works Complex (Resolution 2025-R-05): The council approved a one-year contract with Dawson Thompson Oil Company to provide fuel at the Public Works Complex. The vendor will install and provide tanks at no up-front capital cost to the city, with an initial monitoring-equipment cost of $5,684.10. Fuel will be supplied at a markup of $0.205 per gallon over the wholesale price for the Ash and Charleston region. The contract includes automatic renewal for up to four additional one-year terms if mutually agreeable. The public-works committee recommended approval. Outcome: approved.

- Board and commission confirmations (various resolutions): The council confirmed several appointments and reappointments by resolution, forwarding personnel-committee recommendations: Steven Turner (reappointment) and Kirk Dodrill (reappointment) to the Huntington Municipal Parking Board; Mark Cross and Drew Hetzer (appointments) to the Huntington Municipal Parking Board; Jan Raider to the Reasonable Accommodation Appeal Board; and Chris Miller to the Tri-State Transit Authority board. Outcome: approved for each resolution.

Items forwarded or introduced
- Refuse-fee penalty reduction (Ordinance 2025-O-04, first reading): The council held first reading of an ordinance that would reduce the quarterly penalty for unpaid refuse fees from 5% to 2% per quarter (bringing refuse-penalty treatment in line with the municipal service fee). The city attorney said the change would not be retroactive and would apply prospectively. The ordinance moved to a second reading.

Public comment and committee notes
A member of the public asked about reporting streetlight outages through the 311 app; staff said the app includes a streetlight reporting option but reporting requires the pole number and nearest location to route the request to the utility provider. A union representative contacted Council regarding the appointment to the Tri-State Transit Authority board and asked that council be aware of a contested claim about a prior appointee; that concern was announced during the appointment discussion but council voted to confirm the appointment.

Procedural notes
Several items passed after committee recommendations; most were approved by voice or roll call with no recorded roll-call tallies printed in the meeting minutes beyond affirmations of “yes” from members present. Where a roll call was recorded the council clerk called members and recorded their assent and the chair declared the ordinance or resolution approved.

Ending
These adopted items are administrative and operational in nature; council will next turn to budget hearings and further substantive budget deliberations in the weeks ahead.","Huntington City Council on Feb. 10 approved a package of property, service-contract and appointment items — including a right-of-way deed to the West Virginia Division of Highways, an alley vacation, a CivicPlus 311 renewal and a fuel-services contract — and confirmed several board members.","actionData","errors"]

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Huntington mayor presents flat $78 million FY26 budget, warns of shrinking federal grants and growing liabilities

Votes at a glance: council approves right-of-way transfer, alley vacation, 311 renewal, fuel contract and multiple board appointments