Richmond council approves sanitary district appropriation, schedules civil-city budget adoption for Oct. 30

The Richmond Common Council engrossed and approved the Richmond Sanitary District’s 2026 appropriation ordinance on Oct. 20 and advanced multiple budget amendments, while the Richmond Civil City 2026 budget remained open for adoption on Oct. 30.

Beth Fields, director of strategic initiatives, told the council the budget reduction ordinance 51-20-25 identifies $100,000 in "other services and charges" and $50,000 in parks and recreation capital outlay that will not be used in 2025 and should be removed from the appropriation. "These are ordinances that we do each year when we identify that there's funding that will not be used in a budget that has been appropriated," Fields said.

Fields also explained the split between the two budget ordinances. "39 represents the Richmond Civil City budget and 39a represents the Richmond sanitary budget," she said, noting the civil-city budget was re-advertised and re-scheduled for adoption Oct. 30 to satisfy the required 10-day gap between hearing and adoption: "Those dates must be at least 10 days apart." The sanitary budget had no changes and was ready for action Oct. 20.

A council member raised an objection to a separate amendment moving funds from capital to payroll, arguing the change would shift $400,000 of first-response funds into overtime and undercut planned capital purchases. "The EMS division is very closely calculated and there's over $500,000 of overtime put in that account," the council member said. "I am opposed to" taking $400,000 of capital equipment money and putting it into payroll.

On procedural votes, the council moved to engross Ordinance 39a-20-25 (the 2026 sanitary district appropriation) and approved it by roll-call vote. The minutes and several 2025 appropriation amendments (including Ordinance 46, a transfer for Roseview) were also engrossed and approved by roll call with the recorded members voting in favor.

Ordinance 50-20-25, the Community Crossings appropriation to accept and appropriate a grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation, was moved for engrossment and approved by roll-call vote the same evening.

What remains pending is final action on the Richmond Civil City 2026 budget (Ordinance 39-20-25), which the council re-advertised and scheduled for adoption on Oct. 30. Several other 2025 budget amendments (Ordinances 47–49 and portions of earlier items) were held for further consideration.

The meeting adjourned after the council completed the evening’s votes; the president noted the enacted ordinances will require signatures before taking effect.