Solon finance director Matt Rubino departs for Dublin; council warns state bill could cut local funding

Solon Finance Director Matt Rubino told the council June 16 that he has accepted employment outside the city and offered brief parting remarks. Council members from across the dais honored Rubino, citing his role in modernizing city finance systems, implementing enterprise resource systems and improving the budgeting process.

Council reviews and farewell: Multiple council members and the mayor praised Rubino’s work, citing improvements to payroll, budget timing and reporting. Several members noted Rubino had helped the city move “from a twentieth‑century operation to a twenty‑first‑century operation.” Rubino thanked council and staff for the working relationship.

State fiscal risk: Separately, Councilman (name given as Jeremy in remarks) and other council members raised concern about House Bill 335 pending at the state legislature. Council members said the bill could reduce state support for local schools and shift costs to municipalities and taxpayers. Council estimates cited in the meeting suggested potential city impacts in the millions: one council member said the city could lose about $5,500,000 and the Solon City School District could face an estimated $8,900,000 reduction if enacted. Council urged residents to contact state legislators and provided guidance for constituent outreach.

Next steps: Council members encouraged residents to contact state legislators, with specific references to the chair of the house finance committee and state senators. The finance director departure will trigger a city recruitment process; council asked the administration to preserve fiscal processes and the budgeting cadence Rubino helped establish while leadership transitions proceed.