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South Lebanon receives 2025 budget presentation; council adopts permanent appropriations
Summary
The city’s director of finance presented the 2025 operating and capital budget, and the council adopted permanent appropriations (Ordinance 2025-5) on second reading after reviewing revenue, operating costs and a list of capital projects.
Tina, South Lebanon’s director of finance, presented the city’s 2025 operating and capital budget and told the council that the city will rely on fund balance to cover planned capital spending while operating revenues are expected to cover day-to-day costs.
"We did start last year of '24 with the fund balance of 16,200,000," Tina said while reviewing the city's financials, and reported that the city closed 2024 with an ending balance of about $18,448,000. For 2025, she said the administration projects general revenues of roughly $11.7–$11.8 million against appropriations near $14.8 million, a gap the city plans to cover with previously accumulated fund balance.
Tina told the council the budget includes roughly $6 million in capital outlays for 2025. The administration anticipates roughly $1.4 million in grant funding to support several high-priority projects, and listed major planned projects as community center improvements, reconstruction of Mara Road, paving of King Avenue and Hobart Street, and a multi-year street maintenance program. The budget also includes design work for a new public works facility and an anticipated water pressure-reducing valve project needed before tower work and repainting.
Tina said personnel costs are budgeted to fund 17 full-time and two part-time positions, including a new code enforcement officer and a new maintenance worker, and that the personal-services line includes an assumed 2.5% wage increase.
Council members held no extended debate on the figures and proceeded to a formal vote on the appropriation ordinance. The council adopted Ordinance 2025-5, the permanent appropriations ordinance for 2025, on its second reading. The motion to approve by title only was made by Council Member Brenda Combs and seconded by Council Member Lisa Feder; the roll call recorded unanimous approval.
Tina also noted larger, multi-year infrastructure work forthcoming: the River Corridor sewer lift station project, for which the city expects to borrow under an Ohio EPA loan at a market rate reported to be under 3% to finance a project she described as necessary to accommodate growth and additional demand on the sewer system.
