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City manager presents FY26 budget estimate emphasizing commission goals and tax-relief match
Summary
City Manager Mr. Grama presented the City of Red Bank's FY26 budget estimate, highlighting alignment with five commission goals, a 1.5% cost-of-living adjustment for employees, a proposal to permanently fund a VCIF-funded detective position, a new data-analyst contract, and a city match for county tax relief for eligible residents.
City Manager Mr. Grama presented the City of Red Bank's fiscal year 2026 budget estimate on April 22, 2025, outlining priorities for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026.
The budget estimate, Mr. Grama said, "addresses all 5 commission goals" from the commission's strategic planning retreat and includes a proposed 1.5% cost-of-living adjustment for all city employees. He told commissioners the package includes a three-page memo, a four-page budget guide and a 32-page budget spreadsheet to support the discussion and invited commissioners and the public to review the materials posted on the city's finance webpage.
Mr. Grama said the proposal makes modest, targeted staffing changes to build capacity in specific areas. Notably, the estimate would make permanent a detective position that had been funded by the Violent Crimes Incentive Fund (VCIF) grant after the VCIF funding expires. The memo also reflects reclassification of two administrative roles (community development office manager and police executive office manager) and conversion of a part-time parks and recreation program assistant to full time.
The estimate would have the city provide a county-match for property tax relief for qualified taxpayers, a change the manager described as a first for any city in Hamilton County. The budget figures presented estimate a complete city match of approximately $25,718.64 to support roughly 138 Red Bank residents in current relief programs, split by an estimated $11,290.80 for those over 65 (about 116 residents) and $14,427.84 for 100% disabled veterans (about 22 residents).
Mr. Grama also told the commission the FY26 estimate budgets $30,000 to sustain CARTA Caravan paratransit service, up from a capped exposure of about $15,600 in the current year. He explained CARTA will no longer cap the city's per-trip subsidy, and Red Bank's projected cost based on current ridership is roughly $30,000.
The manager proposed $15,000 for on-call data-analyst services to improve the city's data maturity, with initial uses for capital improvement planning, property tax analysis and revenue forecasting. He said the public works and community development departments will carry much of the workload for the commission's five goals and urged commissioners to review the six department-specific budget memos for operational details.
Mr. Grama closed by reiterating the documents posted online and the schedule for follow-up hearings and department presentations over the next three Tuesdays, providing the commission several weeks for questions and decisions.
