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Cleveland council adopts 2025–26 budget, sets tax rate and approves personnel and spending measures
Summary
Cleveland Town Council adopted the 2025–26 budget and approved a package of fiscal measures including a county‑set tax rate of 0.00045, a $15,000 transfer from the enterprise fund to the general fund, a 2.5% annual cost‑of‑living increase for non‑benefited part‑time workers, and a $1 raise for the clerk and treasurer.
Cleveland Town Council on Monday moved to finalize its fiscal plan for the coming year, adopting the 2025–26 town budget and approving several related financial measures including a county‑set property tax rate and personnel pay adjustments.
The council voted to adopt the 2025–26 budget, approved a proposed property tax rate of 0.00045 (total revenue cited by staff as $13,556), authorized a $15,000 transfer from the enterprise fund to the general fund, set an annual cost‑of‑living adjustment of 2.5% for non‑benefited part‑time employees, approved a $1 hourly raise for the statutory clerk and the treasurer, and approved moving a fire‑district recruitment and retention grant into a separate account. Councilors also closed the adjusted 2024–25 budget as of June 30 and approved payment of city bills and finance balances.
Why it matters: those decisions determine local revenue, the town’s spending priorities for services and facilities, and short‑term personnel costs. The transfer and the grant‑account action also affect how certain restricted or grant funds will be tracked and used.
Most important outcomes
- Adopted 2025–26 town budget (motion carried). - Approved proposed property tax rate of 0.00045 (total revenue shown as $13,556; rate set by county/county process). - Approved transfer of $15,000 from the enterprise fund to the general fund to balance town accounts. - Set annual COLA of 2.5% for part‑time non‑benefited employees. - Approved $1 increase for the clerk and the treasurer (statutory positions). - Authorized the fire department to open a separate account for $5,220 in recruitment/retention grant funds. - Closed the adjusted 2024–25 budget effective June 30. - Adopted the Local Building Authority (LBA) 2025–26 budget during a separate LBA agenda.
What council members and staff said
Heather Holt, who explained budget adjustments during the LBA portion of the meeting, told the council that some local grant receipts had been recorded and that she had included $10,000 in the O'Ville line item in the upcoming budget for the year. Council discussion repeatedly referenced that the county or state sets the allowable property tax rate and that raising it would require a separate truth‑in‑taxation process.
Council procedure and roll calls
The council used motions, seconds and roll‑call responses for the finance items. For items where the meeting record shows a motion and a roll call, the motions were carried as announced by the mayor or presiding council member.
Votes at a glance
- Adopt 2025–26 town budget — outcome: approved. - Adopt Local Building Authority 2025–26 budget — outcome: approved (LBA agenda). - Transfer $15,000 from enterprise fund to general fund — outcome: approved. - Close adjusted 2024–25 budget as of June 30 — outcome: approved. - Set proposed property tax rate 0.00045 (total revenue $13,556) — outcome: approved. - Set annual COLA 2.5% for non‑benefited part‑time employees — outcome: approved. - Ordinance to raise clerk and treasurer pay by $1 — outcome: approved. - Authorize fire department to open a separate account for $5,220 (recruitment/retention grant) — outcome: approved. - Approve city bills and finance payments — outcome: approved.
Background and context
The council’s discussion made repeated reference to municipal budgeting practices: closing a fiscal year’s adjusted budget (the council instructed the closure effective June 30), adopting the upcoming year’s budget, and implementing routine interfund transfers (the $15,000 transfer was introduced as the standard annual transfer from the town’s enterprise fund to the general fund). Councilors clarified during discussion that the county or state sets the tax rate figure the town records and that increasing the rate beyond the county‑set amount would trigger a truth‑in‑taxation procedure requiring additional public hearings.
The fire department’s request to move $5,220 of recruitment/retention grant funds into a separate account drew questions about accountability and signatures; the department said the account would remain tracked with receipts and that multiple signatories would be designated so withdrawals follow an internal paper trail.
Ending
Councilors approved all the listed finance items during the meeting and moved on to other agenda topics. Several council members noted follow‑up administrative work — posting a job description and advertising for maintenance staff, and clarifying accounting lines for grant money — that staff will handle ahead of the next regular meeting.
