Troy committee recommends council approve 2026 budget, asks council to back county millage decision and MCD exemption

City staff presented the proposed 2026 budget and the Troy Budget & Finance Committee unanimously recommended the council approve the proposal, while asking the council to adopt an emergency resolution backing the Miami County budget commission’s certification decisions for 2026 and the temporary zeroing of the Miami Conservancy District (MCD) assessment.

The recommendation covers general fund appropriations, targeted agency funding and capital project plans. City staff told the committee that “we expect that our income tax and tax revenues for 2026 will be relatively flat” and outlined a five‑year forecast showing fund balances declining if large capital projects and bond borrowing proceed as planned.

Why it matters: the budget includes both recurring agency support and major one‑time capital commitments that will significantly draw down city reserves. Committee members heard that projects scheduled to bid in 2026 — including the low‑dam (LoDAM) and Streetscape projects — and planned borrowing (auditor‑recommended bond issuance in 2028, with full debt service beginning in 2029) could reduce the ending fund balance from nearly $33 million in 2026 to around $6 million by 2030 under current assumptions.

Key details and committee direction City staff asked the committee for three items to forward to council: a positive recommendation on the 2026 budget; authorization to fund Troy Main Street ($60,000 annually, paid quarterly) and Troy Rec ($32,000 annually, paid quarterly); and an emergency resolution for the Dec. 1 council meeting expressing support for the county budget commission’s decisions on inside millage and the zeroing of the MCD assessment for 2026. "We are asking for, a positive recommendation on the 2026 budget," staff told the committee.

Police station renovation: The proposed capital program retains $2.5 million for Phase 1 of police‑station renovations in 2026 and anticipates another $2.5 million in 2027 if council approves. Staff described Phase 1 as primarily window replacement (including exploring ballistic/bullet‑resistant options), basement reconfiguration, locker‑room relocations and other operational upgrades; Phase 2 would address first‑floor repurposing (the holding cell area) and creation of a Sally Port. Council members discussed multi‑year phasing to reduce near‑term cost spikes.

Parks and design funding: The 2026 proposal includes $1,000,000 in Fund 228 (park and recreation capital improvement fund) to begin design and engineering work for priorities identified in the Park and Recreation Master Plan. Staff said consultants estimate up to roughly $15,000,000 of construction costs across prioritized projects and noted design/engineering typically ranges from about 10–13% of construction costs. The Park and Recreation Master Plan presentation is scheduled for Dec. 3 at 06:00 in the Bravo Room.

Miami Conservancy District assessment and county action: Staff explained the county budget commission (per the Ohio Revised Code) chose not to certify a large reassessment increase that surfaced from a recent county reassessment and instead used a smaller, roughly 4.6% inflationary adjustment for certification. Staff described receiving revised certification tables that zeroed out the MCD assessment for Troy in 2026 and proposed council support for that commission decision this year, with a promise to revisit the matter next year. Staff cautioned the city faces potential future MCD assessment increases; currently the city’s MCD assessment is about $200,000 per year and staff said it could increase substantially, “as much as double, if not more.”

Next steps: The committee voted unanimously to move its three recommendations to the full council, asking that the council consider an emergency resolution on Dec. 1 for the millage/certification matter and to act on the budget in its January cycle. The Parks and Recreation Master Plan will be presented Dec. 3; staff said detailed budget pages and supporting data are available on the city website.

Ending: The committee’s recommendation does not appropriate final expenditures; the council will consider the items at its upcoming meeting schedule, with the requested emergency resolution for the millage/certification issue placed on the Dec. 1 agenda.