Marion County council adopts fiscal year 2025–26 budget ordinance on third reading

Marion County Council adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 budget ordinance on third reading after a public hearing where residents raised concerns about access to budget documents and how a tax surplus was handled.

During the public hearing portion, John Jameson told council he had not been able to review the proposed budget because the document was not made available before passage. "I don't have any notes because I don't have any access to the budget," Jameson said, and he urged the council to make budget information available to the public. Another resident, identified as Alan LT, also requested open disclosure and said limited access to budget materials had caused distrust.

Council later revisited the budget under ordinances and took action on third reading. A council member asked that the budget be filed with the court; county staff confirmed filing steps would be taken. The transcript records a voice vote approving the ordinance; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the meeting text.

Public commenters also raised a recent "tax surplus" discovered by the county (described in public comment as roughly $1 million) and urged using such surpluses to smooth cash-flow gaps rather than leaving them unallocated. The council did not adopt a separate directive on the surplus at the meeting; the budget ordinance was approved as read.

The transcript does not include line-item details of the adopted budget; staff said the budget will be filed with the court as required but did not provide the full text during the public comments portion. The council asked for direction on other pending items and moved on to additional agenda business.