Wooster holds public hearing on 2026 tax budget; council leaves resolution on second reading

Wooster held a public hearing on June 2, 2025 to present the city’s tax budget for fiscal year 2026. Finance staff member Daugherty guided council through the required documents and timetables and told the council the tax budget must be adopted by July 15 and submitted to the county auditor by July 20 under the Ohio Revised Code section cited in the presentation.

Daugherty said the packet shows a 2026 forecast and the 2025 appropriation, with revenue and expenditure schedules, special-revenue funds and a statement of permanent improvements. He highlighted capital items pulled from the 2026 capital list including a multi‑million-dollar water-fund item (described in the presentation as a significant water-fund project), an equipment and vehicle replacement line, a city-hall window project, and approximately $2,000,000 in street-resurfacing including a downtown resurfacing Phase 5 project. He also noted the budget must list outstanding debt as of Jan. 1 and the principal and interest required during the year.

After council questions (none raised at the hearing) the president closed the hearing. Resolution number 2025-39, “a resolution providing for the annual tax budget for fiscal year beginning 01/01/2026,” was read and the council agreed to leave the ordinance on second reading; no final action was taken at the June 2 meeting. Daugherty said the presentation was based on projected 2026 forecast figures and 2025 appropriation budgets and that any formal changes would be brought back to council in subsequent meetings for adoption in advance of the statutory deadlines.