Mt. Healthy council adopts 2026 appropriations and multiple year-end ordinances

The Mt. Healthy City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to adopt several ordinances to close out the year and set the city’s fiscal 2026 appropriations.

The council adopted Ordinance 25-2066, which sets appropriations for fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2026. The measure was moved by Mister George and seconded by Mister Parsons and passed on roll call.

Council also adopted a set of year-end and administrative ordinances: Ordinance 25-2065 (compensation for elected and appointed officials and certain employees) was adopted after a second reading; Ordinance 25-2067 (an amendment to the 2025 appropriations declared an emergency) was approved after the council voted to suspend the two-reading rule and adopt in the same meeting; Ordinance 25-2068 authorized routine transfers from the general fund into special funds (for bond payments and fire department shortfalls), which the city manager described as bookkeeping transfers rather than new expenditures. Finally, Ordinance 25-2069 set monthly residential rates under the city’s contract with Rumpke Incorporated for collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste and recyclable materials.

City Manager Bauer explained that some of the line items listed are grant reimbursements and transfers required so auditors see that the city approved the expenditures in the calendar year; he said the transfers do not represent additional net spending. The manager also clarified that fund transfers are used to move budgeted dollars between funds (for example, to the bond payment fund and the fire department fund when levy revenue is insufficient).

Votes at a glance: - Ordinance 25-2065 (compensation): adopted (motion: Missus Lingo; second: Missus Dosa). - Ordinance 25-2066 (2026 appropriations): adopted (motion: Mister George; second: Mister Parsons). - Ordinance 25-2067 (2025 appropriations amendment/emergency): two-reading rule suspended (motion: Mister Parsons; second: Mister Young), ordinance adopted (motion: Mister Young; second: Missus Rissell). - Ordinance 25-2068 (fund transfers, emergency): adopted (motion: Mister Young; second: Missus Rissell). - Ordinance 25-2069 (residential trash/recycle rate — Rumpke Inc.): adopted (motion: Mister Redding; second: Mister Parsons).

All recorded roll-call votes at the meeting registered in favor by the present seven council members; the council clerk recorded the ayes during each vote. The ordinances take effect as specified in each measure; where an item was declared an emergency, the council suspended the usual second-reading requirement and adopted it during the meeting.