Edmond staff lay out conservative general fund, internal service budgets; hiring freeze proposed

At a special budget workshop, city finance staff reviewed the proposed fiscal-year 2025–26 general fund and internal service fund budgets and described conservative revenue assumptions, a hiring freeze for non‑utility and non‑public‑safety positions and the city’s current reserve position.

Kathy Panas, presenting the general fund and internal services overview, said staff budgeted 0% growth in sales tax for the coming year and 4% growth for use tax, reflecting a cautious approach amid recent declines in sales tax receipts. “We budgeted 0% growth in sales tax for next year,” Panas said. She reported that sales tax receipts were down about 0.69% year to date while use tax was up compared with last year.

The presentation showed the general fund’s total incoming resources at about $104.6 million, including about $81.4 million in new revenue and roughly $22.8 million in…