Monroeville manager previews balanced $41.39M 2026 budget; no tax increase proposed
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Summary
Manager Graziani presented a draft 2026 budget totaling $41,390,705, balanced using $278,094 of beginning fund balance; the proposal carries no scheduled tax increase and reduces planned capital spending from earlier drafts.
Manager Graziani presented the municipality's draft 2026 budget to council, describing a balanced spending plan of $41,390,705, roughly a 0.79% increase over the 2025 adopted budget. Graziani said the draft relies on a planned use of $278,094 in beginning fund balance and reductions of about $2.7 million in capital projects from the August capital improvement program to close an earlier larger gap in the draft.
Graziani briefed council on staffing (about 175 full-time and 95 part-time positions reflected in the draft), the nonunion salary ordinance (a proposed 3% across-the-board increase in line with union contract changes), and a schedule for departmental presentations in November ahead of a final budget vote in December. "No drama, no tax increase, pretty much steady," Graziani said in his presentation, emphasizing conservative revenue estimates and efforts to avoid dependence on unverified revenue assumptions.
Council members asked for specific fund-balance figures and details on capital spending reductions. Graziani provided an unaudited Sept. 30 ending balance for the municipality's total cash and noted an unrestricted fund balance of roughly $24.8 million after restricted funds are removed; he characterized the reduction from reserves as consistent with prior practice when capital needs are prioritized.
The draft will be discussed further in a series of departmental presentations and is scheduled for additional review and a final vote in December; no tax-rate changes are proposed in the current draft.
