Board introduces fiscal year 2026 budget; DDA placeholder and personnel contingency noted

Cascade Charter Township officials presented the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget to the board for introduction, describing the packet’s organization, major funds and several line-item highlights.

Director Lorna Antrini walked the board through the general fund, other funds and the largest line items. The packet includes a large Downtown Development Authority (DDA) capital placeholder—identified as up to $15 million of debt capacity—displayed in the materials as a revenue and expenditure placeholder for board and DDA consideration. Staff emphasized the $15 million figure is an upper-end debt-capacity example and not a finalized project cost.

The proposal also creates a centralized information-technology activity to consolidate IT spending across departments and place those costs in the cost-allocation plan rather than in multiple disparate line items. The building inspection fund is structured as an intermunicipal enterprise fund (services provided to several municipalities), and its revenues are forecast unit-by-unit.

The infrastructure replacement fund (IRF) includes a $1.5 million land-acquisition placeholder identified in the capital improvement plan. Staff noted the fire fund’s balance is lower than desired because of a recent $1 million engine purchase paid from reserves and said the township is tracking MERS pension liabilities and debt-service timelines. Personnel changes include a net reduction of 3.5 positions from outsourcing, step increases and cost-of-living adjustments and a personnel contingency of $173,363 added administratively to balance the budget; use of those contingency dollars would require board approval.

Trustee Shipley moved and Treasurer Corstange seconded a motion to introduce the proposed FY2026 budget; the motion carried by voice vote. Staff said adoption is scheduled for the next board meeting following continued review and opportunity for public comment.