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Chester council adopts 2026 budget and approves a package of ordinances on final reading
Summary
The city council unanimously passed the 2026 budget — a $62,199,011 general fund before unpaid pensions and $105,199,011 total expenses including prior unpaid pensions — and approved a series of ordinances on final reading addressing zoning, street openings, taxes and personnel.
The Chester City Council voted unanimously on Dec. 10 to adopt the city’s 2026 budget and to pass multiple ordinances on their last and final readings.
Ordinance 7 (Bill 7) set the general fund budget for 2026 at $62,199,011 before unpaid pensions, with prior unpaid pensions estimated at $43,000,000 and total general fund expenses of $105,199,011. The clerk read departmental appropriations and revenue estimates, including real estate and library taxes of $10,235,000; a taxes line of $26,611,000; fees, fines and permits at $3,676,168; intergovernmental revenues $3,922,187; host fees reported at $16,306,000; and other revenues detailed in Exhibit A referenced in the ordinance.
Council discussed a typographical error under Section 6 that listed the wrong budget year; the clerk confirmed the year will be corrected to 2026 before finalization.
On final reading, the council also passed the following measures by voice/roll-call vote (motions were made and seconded as listed in the meeting):
- Ordinance 5 (Bill 5): Amends zoning and commercial-use provisions to prohibit certain construction or trades-person headquarters in specified zoning districts and to set limits on outdoor storage in a light-industrial/commercial zone. - Ordinance 6 (Bill 6): Provides for the opening of Ulrich Street, a vacated street between West 2nd Street and West Front Street. - Ordinance 8 (Bill 8): Prescribes the number, duties and compensation of city employees for 2026. - Ordinance 9 (Bill 9): Reenacts the business privilege tax for 2026, setting retail and wholesale rates (as described in the ordinance text). - Ordinance 10 (Bill 10): Reenacts the earned income tax for 2026, including a 2% rate for nonresidents and 3.75% for residents, and designates 1% of collections for distressed pension payments per the ordinance language. - Ordinance 11 (Bill 11): Reenacts the local services tax at $52 per year for 2026. - Ordinance 12 (Bill 12): Enacts the 2026 real property tax rate at 9.4041 mills and the library tax at 0.4017 mills.
The council also approved Resolution R-147, a subdivision and development plan for Grace Manor at 0 West 7th Street proposing 18 twin homes and 3 single-family homes, and Resolution R-148 appointing tax collection committee (TCC) delegates (Richard Trautman as delegate, Eleanor Gholson as first alternate and Michael Hurst as second alternate).
Councilors moved and seconded the motions as recorded in the meeting; roll-call responses recorded by the clerk were affirmative for each measure. No additional amendments affecting substance were made during final readings; Bill 13 (pension board composition) received a first reading and Q&A and will return for further consideration.
What’s next: Bill 13 will continue through the ordinance process (it was advanced on first reading). The budget adoption obligates departmental appropriations for the 2026 fiscal year pending any required ministerial corrections noted in the meeting.
Votes at a glance (final reading outcomes): all final-reading ordinances presented in this meeting were approved on voice/roll-call vote by the council.
