Warren mayor presents $430 million FY2026 budget proposal; seeks millage renewal and major wastewater financing

The mayor of Warren presented an executive budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 on April 14, outlining a total city budget of roughly $430,000,000 and a general fund planning target near $160,000,000. The presentation emphasized investments in public safety, roads, parks, technology and a major wastewater treatment upgrade while asking residents to support a renewal of the city’s police and fire millage in August.

The budget matters because it frames how the city will allocate limited local revenues, addresses aging infrastructure and funds employee pay and benefits. "Tonight's budget proposal starts a conversation, but more importantly, as an exercise in transparency and accountability, as well as participatory governance by community members," the mayor said.

The mayor described the citywide budget and general fund process. Department requests totaled about $177,700,000 before the administration and controller trimmed them to a proposed recommendation of about $160,000,000 to align with projected revenues. City property taxes and state revenue sharing were said to make up about 75% of general fund revenues; charges for services, licenses and permits were described as roughly 7%.

Public safety accounted for the largest share of the general fund in the proposal: 40% to police and 22% to fire, a combined 62% of general fund dollars. The administration said it has hired 34 police officers since the mayor took office and has increased public safety staffing citywide by about 90 positions. The mayor said the budget includes roughly $4,000,000 in department requests for police, including nearly $2,000,000 for a Tyler Technologies software platform, $280,000 for dispatch equipment and $612,000 for vehicles and upfitting. Fire department requests listed about $1,500,000 for turnout gear and equipment, $200,000 for renovations to administration and apparatus garages, half a million for defibrillators, and $285,000 for power load cots.

The mayor said the administration will ask voters in August to renew Warren’s police and fire public safety millage "not more, just keep" the current level to maintain service standards. The proposal sought to show residents how average tax bills translate into services, with examples such as an average of about $50 per month toward police and about $30 per month toward fire (figures presented by the mayor as a citywide average allocation).

On utilities and critical infrastructure, the mayor proposed a 5.78% water and sewer rate increase, citing higher costs from the city’s supplier and state-mandated capital requirements. Engineering proposals include about $8,600,000 for water-main and sewer replacements and a larger set of sewer repairs and linings totaling about $1,000,000. The mayor highlighted a recently completed 22,000,000-gallon detention basin on Stevens Road intended to reduce strain on the wastewater system during heavy rainfall.

The presentation detailed a planned long-term replacement of the city’s aging incinerator and major wastewater treatment upgrades. The mayor said the wastewater treatment plant needs roughly $83,500,000 in repairs and replacements and described a next-generation incineration technology the city intends to install to recover heat energy and potentially treat low levels of PFAS. The administration reported it applied to Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) state revolving fund loan program and, after two prior applications were cut from final funding lists, was notified in November that the city had been selected to borrow almost $75,000,000 at rates as low as about 2%, with nearly $10,000,000 available as forgivable loans.

The mayor proposed prudent management of one-time settlement funds. Warren reported $2,409,481 available from opioid settlement proceeds; the mayor said the administration is considering an endowment-style approach—investing principal and using only interest—to sustain opioid-response programs over time, citing other states’ examples.

Roads and capital projects noted in the proposal include roughly $17,000,000 in road funding under the city’s 20-year millage program, pavement and sidewalk work, and a roughly $4,000,000 repair of the Warren Community Center parking lot. Parks and recreation investments highlighted completed ADA ramps, a new splash pad at Wigan Plaza, and increased lifeguard staffing to restore Sunday swim hours.

On personnel and benefits, the mayor said Warren employs more than 800 full-time employees plus about 500–600 seasonal and temporary staff. The administration indicated about 40% of general fund dollars go to wages and about 36.5% to fringe benefits. Pension funding levels reported were 75.6% for general employees (pension year end 12/31/2023) and 63.1% for police and fire retirees (figures reported as of fiscal year end 06/30/2024 and pension year data cited in the presentation).

The mayor asked residents to follow the process: city council will hold budget hearings in April (the mayor listed dates in the presentation for council budget hearings) and the administration will meet with council and department heads to answer questions. "I have had to make difficult decisions for prioritizing purchases and looking for additional or alternative funding sources," the mayor said, and noted that the final adopted budget is the responsibility of city council.

The administration said the executive budget presentation and supporting materials will be posted on the city website and invited residents to a community check-in in April and to sign up for the city's community alert network.

No formal council votes or ordinance proposals were recorded in the presentation itself; the mayor framed the session as an executive presentation to begin public review and council hearings.