McMinnville’s finance committee reviewed a midyear budget amendment and voted to forward ordinances to the full city board that would formalize personnel savings, two software purchases and a contractor repair for the city‑hall façade.

Samantha, the presenter, told the committee the city typically amends its budget midyear and that recent grants plus personnel changes prompted the proposal. “We have come up with almost a $130,000 worth of savings there on the general fund,” she said, identifying the savings as mostly permanent reductions from retirements and departmental restructuring.

The amendment shifts a small amount of revenue and expenditure lines tied to recent grants — for example, the Park Theater mural grant was reduced to $6,000 while project costs remain nearer $10,000 — producing about a $47,000 reduction in budgeted revenue but an overall $176,000 reduction in expenditures. Taken together, Samantha said, the net change would improve the general fund by roughly $129,000 and raise the projected unassigned fund balance for 6/30/2026 to about $5.36 million from $5.12 million.

Samantha provided a department breakdown for the personnel savings: roughly $57,000 in public works, $63,000 in the police department and nearly $46,000 in community development. She also noted several capital items arrived under budget — including an urban‑forestry truck (~$11,000 under) and a dump truck (about $20,000 under) — and recommended removing a planned used hot‑box purchase to free funds for higher‑priority needs.

The amendment includes two software purchases intended to increase efficiency and transparency. Samantha described budgeting software (a Cleargood‑style product) that can model scenarios and produce itemized, real‑time budget views; she estimated a prorated first‑year cost near $14,000 and an annual fee nearer $20,000 thereafter. An open‑meetings/meeting‑management platform was described as an add‑on that would centralize agenda creation, in‑meeting management and searchable minutes and video; presenters estimated first‑year costs near $20,000 with ongoing annual costs likely in the $10,000–$12,000 range.

On facilities, staff described infiltration testing that found failing caulk at the south facade and around windows at city hall, with contractor repairs estimated at about $35,000. Speaker 1 said the work would reduce water intrusion and improve heating/cooling performance; public‑works capacity constraints led Samantha and others to recommend subcontracting the repair rather than completing it in‑house.

Samantha told the committee the amendment still meets the comptroller’s minimum fund‑balance requirement (the presentation cited 16.9% for a specific fund calculation) and said the city can revise the ordinance between first and second readings if needed. The committee moved to present the proposed ordinances to the full board; Speaker 5 made the motion, Speaker 4 seconded, members voiced their support and the motion carried.

The ordinances will appear for first reading on Dec. 9 with a public hearing scheduled for Jan. 13; staff said they will provide any updated procurement or PCI (pavement condition index) results before the full‑board consideration.