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Toledo finance committee: April revenues roughly on budget as withholding holds steady
Summary
City finance leaders reported April revenue and expenditure results showing overall collections near projections, with withholding — about 80% of receipts — essentially flat and the IRS collections unit performing above expectations.
Director of Finance Melanie Campbell and Tax Commissioner John Zavisha told the Toledo Finance, Debt and Budget Oversight Committee on the monthly meeting that April revenues and expenditures are broadly in line with the city’s budget but that the withholding category warrants monitoring.
Campbell said general fund revenue collections through April — with 33% of the fiscal year complete — were at about 28.5% of the total budget. "At 33% of the year complete, revenue collections for 2025 are at about 28.5% of the total budget," she said. The report shows property tax collections at about 54% (the city received the first-half payments in February) and licenses and permits at 37% of the budgeted amount.
Why it matters: withholding is Toledo’s single largest revenue source. Commissioner John Zavisha said withholding accounts for "just over 80% of what we collect," so small swings in that category can sway near-term results.
Zavisha reported withholding totaled about $51,900,000 through April and described the figure as "about as flat as flat can be. We're just off $47,876 from last year's number." He said most of the year-to-year variance is concentrated among some of the top 20 withholdings — "the top 20 is down about $1,200,000 and all other companies are up $1.2 [million]," — and characterized several of the declines as likely one-time events. "At this point, you know, we're still within 1% of our budget numbers. So, no concerns at this point," he said.
The packet notes other income items that affect timing: the city received a first-quarter casino payment of $1,700,000 (about 25% of the estimate for that revenue), and EMS fees and basic/advanced life-support billings together are running ahead of pace, with combined billings of about $5,300,000 and BLS collections at $2,400,000 (about 45% collected so far).
Campbell also highlighted refund activity, which historically can rise later in the year. "Through April 30 are $216,000. Last year, that number was about $303,000," she said, noting that refunds grew substantially after April last year and ended the year much higher.
The committee packet shows a 2025 projection figure of "229.9" as presented; the packet did not specify the units for that number. Campbell said, overall, revenues are at about 97.5% of budget estimates and the administration does not recommend adjustments at this time.
On enforcement and supplemental collections, Zavisha said the city's IRS-focused collections unit had collected about $2,100,000 through April, "which is up a little more than $125,000 compared to last year," and the outcome is considered a positive signal for ongoing collections work.
Committee members asked several clarifying questions about the timing of payments and when particular category variances (for example, withholding and EMS payments) might normalize; staff said they will continue to monitor monthly results and report back. The presentation concluded with staff offering to take questions on the capital-improvement and ARPA reports that followed in the packet.
The report drew no formal vote; committee members asked for continued monthly monitoring and updates if trends change.
