Welfare Director Todd Marsh delivered a budget overview and said the general assistance line for FY26 is $338,450, adjusted to reflect higher rental costs and the department’s approach emphasizing homelessness prevention.

Marsh said the department previously used about $425,000 in general assistance 20 years ago and has since worked to limit costs through practice changes; he said the current FY26 request increases the general-assistance line by just over 3% and rolls a community outreach facilitator position previously funded with ARPA into the annual budget for a final year of transition.

Why it matters: the welfare office administers general assistance and homelessness-prevention services that affect vulnerable residents and local housing stability. Marsh asked the council to restore an intake worker position, which he said was vacated in February 2022 and absorbed temporarily but is now necessary to maintain verification, reduce fraud risk and preserve service quality.

Marsh described specific operational impacts: intake verification, front-desk coverage during lunch and staff absences, and the time-intensive nature of individualized case work. He requested the vacated intake-worker position be funded beginning January 2026 to restore capacity.

Councilors praised the office’s record of returning unused funds in prior years and acknowledged the effort to manage costs while meeting legal and humanitarian obligations. The request will be considered during budget deliberations.