Troy City Council on Dec. 1 heard administration recommendations for the 2026 budget and five-year capital forecasts, which project roughly flat income-tax receipts and materially higher operating and capital spending.

At a presentation introduced by council, Mister Titterington (who introduced the budget at the committee meeting and presented the charts) said the administration used a conservative revenue estimate — about a 0.4% increase in income tax for 2026 — and expects operating costs to rise nearly 9.3% and capital investment about 11% compared with 2025. He said the recommended capital improvement program totals about $36,200,000 and highlighted about $1,500,000 in proposed local paving and $1,200,000 in major paving projects, with roughly $1,000,000 set aside for parks design and engineering.

The presentation also flagged potential downside from the Miami County Conservancy District (MCD) assessment. “There’s some rather creative fiction that’s out on social media right now,” Mister Titterington said, and cautioned that MCD changes could double or triple the city’s assessment and reduce projected ending fund balances substantially over the five-year forecast.

Why it matters: The budget will be the basis for the appropriation ordinance the council considers next, and the presentation stresses that relatively small revenue growth plus higher wage, benefit and construction costs will require prioritizing projects or identifying additional funding. The administration said it does not recommend new staff additions for 2026.

Details: The recommended 2026 budget includes a mix of operating and capital priorities: replacement vehicles and equipment across parks, the golf course and utilities (about $1,000,000), continued investment in stormwater, water and sewer work, and the first phase of a multi-year police department renovation. The administration showed two five-year fund-balance projections: one based on earlier assumptions and another updated for recent decisions by the Miami County Budget Commission; plugging in a potential MCD assessment increase would reduce fund balances by roughly $1.8 million within five years, the presentation estimated.

Next steps: Council read the appropriation ordinance (O33-2025) for first reading but did not suspend the rules; the ordinance was scheduled for second reading on Dec. 15. The administration posted the budget documents online and said they would continue to update the charts and assumptions as bids and reimbursements are confirmed.

The council’s presentation and the administration’s estimated figures were taken from the budget presentation to council and related committee reports.