Toledo council adopts 2025 operating budget and a package of capital and infrastructure ordinances

The Toledo City Council on Jan. 28 adopted the city's 2025 operating budget (Ordinance 032-25) and approved a package of capital and infrastructure ordinances, authorizing more than $52 million for the capital improvement and road program and separate appropriations for water, sewer and resurfacing projects.

Council members voted by roll call to pass the operating budget ordinance and a series of companion measures that the administration and council sponsors presented as emergency ordinances. The operating budget included an administration amendment to expand a new police class to 45 officers and to cover associated uniform and equipment costs, funded from projected savings and other appropriations in the ordinance.

Why it matters: The capital budget (Ordinance 033-25) authorizes $52,407,417 for projects in 2025'29 and the council separately authorized large appropriations and grant-acceptance authority intended to accelerate water-main replacements, road resurfacing and drainage projects. Those measures create the legal spending authority the administration can use this year to advertise, accept bids and execute construction contracts.

Major items and council action (votes summarized):

- Ordinance 032-25: Appropriating from various funds for city expenses for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2025; declared an emergency and passed on roll call (recorded as passed during the Jan. 28 session).

- Ordinance 033-25: Capital improvement and road improvement budget for 2025'29, authorizing $52,407,417; declared an emergency and passed on roll call.

- Ordinance 019-25: Authorizing a municipal court web-services contract and expenditure not to exceed $55,000; suspension and passage recorded.

- Ordinance 020-25: Emergency contract for removal of a 12-inch water main (Nebraska Avenue), not to exceed $34,000 from the Water Replacement Fund; suspension and passage recorded.

- Ordinance 021-25: Authorizing up to $10,000,000 from the Water Replacement Fund for the water-main program, including design, rights of way and construction; declared an emergency and passed on roll call.

- Ordinance 022-25: Authorizing the mayor to accept and execute cooperative grant agreements with the Ohio Department of Transportation and accept up to $15,448,957 into the Capital Improvement Fund for design and construction projects; suspension and passage recorded.

- Ordinance 023-25: Authorizing up to $1,000,000 for road matches and planning; passed on roll call.

- Ordinance 024-25: Authorizing up to $26,000,000 from the tax roadway improvement fund for the general resurfacing program; declared an emergency and passed on roll call.

- Ordinance 025-25: Appropriation from the stormwater utility improvement fund for drainage projects (transcript text: "3,790 1,000" cited by clerk); declared an emergency and passed. (See clarifying details.)

- Ordinance 026-25: Authorizing up to $5,700,000 from the sewer replacement fund for replacement projects; declared an emergency and passed on roll call.

- Ordinance 027-25: Amending prior language to include repairing pump drives at the Reynolds area pumping station; passed on roll call.

- Ordinance 028-25: Three-year security-system maintenance agreement for Collins Park Water Treatment Plant, authorizing up to $40,000 annually and waiving competitive procurement provisions; passed on roll call.

- Ordinance 029-25: Extension of SAP application maintenance/support contracts for the finance ERP and DPU systems with stated annual expenditures in the ordinance text; suspension and passage recorded.

- Ordinance 030-25: Authorizing payment of the City of Toledo's 2025 dues to the Water Reuse Association (text cites $16,547); passed on roll call.

- Ordinance 031-25: Authorizing lease of vehicles for the Toledo-Lucas County Planning Commission (text cites up to $21,385); council subsequently considered a motion to relieve/move the item to committee; that motion failed on roll call (see actions below).

- Ordinances 034-25 and 035-25: Vacation of identified parcels (property vacations as described in the clerk's text); both passed on roll call.

Council amendments: During consideration of the operating budget the council approved multiple council-sponsored amendments by roll call, including a $200,000 allocation for the white box grant program (sponsored by council members Melden, Driscoll, Martinez and Komives), a $1,000,000 addition for youth programming (sponsored by Councilwoman Sandra McPherson), and smaller appropriations for strategic planning and council office improvements. Those amendments were called, voted and recorded before final passage of the operating budget.

What council members said: Members repeatedly framed the timing of the votes as necessary to establish spending authority and to allow the administration to proceed with planned work. Several members emphasized the need for close monitoring of revenues and possible midyear budget adjustments in light of outside funding uncertainty.

Next steps and implementation: Passage of these ordinances authorizes the administration to prepare plans and specifications, advertise and accept bids, acquire rights of way and execute contracts where procurement waivers were approved. Several measures were passed as emergency ordinances to permit immediate procurement and contracting activity.

Votes at a glance (summary): All listed ordinances were passed by roll-call votes during the meeting except where noted. The council recorded each roll-call passage in the meeting minutes; a motion to move Ordinance 031-25 to committee failed in a roll-call vote (see actions array).