Chris Snyder, director of billing and code, told the finance committee on Sept. 30 that the department’s proposed 2026 budget is “relatively flat,” with no net increase in staffing and no capital requests in the submission.

Snyder reviewed professional services lines and said the department has used third‑party plan review to speed turnaround for major projects; he said the 2024 master services engagement had a $60,000 limit and that some of that contract work carried into 2025. Snyder said plan‑review fees and permit revenue are intended to offset some third‑party review costs.

Committee members pressed Snyder on vacant‑property registration revenue, noting that collections for the line appear below prior years. Snyder said registrations and revenues are dynamic, that the department enforces registration requirements and associated fees, and that failure to register can carry criminal penalties in existing code (a misdemeanor). He said legal and enforcement dynamics can complicate collections and that the department can explore making unpaid fees a lien on tax bills to avoid repeatedly clogging criminal dockets.

Snyder also described a consolidation that occurred in 2024: the code supervisor and vacant‑property officer roles are now combined into one position. He said that arrangement was “working” and that staffing levels are stable with no vacancies at the time of the hearing.

The committee asked for follow‑up data on vacant‑property counts and registration revenue over multiple years; Snyder agreed to provide historical figures and to work with counsel on potential administrative remedies for unpaid fees.