The Sandusky City Commission held a public hearing July 28, 2025, on the proposed 2026 tax budget, which staff said is required under Ohio law and will be submitted to the county budget commission for review. Sally Martin, senior account holder, presented the hearing and outlined what the tax budget contains and why the city must submit it.

The hearing matters because the tax budget helps the county budget commission assess the city's anticipated revenues and expenditures; failure to submit a tax budget can affect the city's eligibility for local government funds. "Ohio Revised Code section 5705 requires an annual tax budget to be submitted to the county auditors each year," Sally Martin said, explaining that the document contains the current year's estimated revenues and expenditures along with two prior years' actual figures.

At the hearing staff invited public comment; no substantive public testimony was recorded and the public portion was closed by the chair. Commissioners then placed the 2026 tax budget on the consent agenda and approved it along with other consent items. Commissioner Murray moved to adopt the ordinances and resolutions on the consent agenda and the motion passed on a voice vote with all commissioners recorded as voting yes.

The tax budget will be forwarded to the county budget commission for review as required by state law; that review will determine official allocations used in the city's 2026 appropriations process. The commission did not debate tax-rate changes during the hearing, and no substantive amendments to the tax budget were made at the July 28 meeting.