The Stark County Commission on Dec. 29 voted to move several year‑end budget items intended to finalize the county’s 2025 books and to create a dedicated airport fund.

Commissioners approved a $2,000,000 transfer from the general fund to the Small City Grant Fund, a step staff said brings previously allocated multi‑year funding into a single special fund for disbursement. Staff described the transfer as part of an ongoing three‑year allocation plan and said the transfers allow individual small cities to bank funds year to year.

The commission also approved creating a Dickinson Airport special projects fund and rolling $2,250,000 into that account for 2025. Staff said the accounting move shifts amounts originally budgeted as 2026 transfers into the 2025 ledger so the funds are available sooner. Separately, commissioners adopted an amendment to transfer $1,750,000 from the general fund to the Dickinson Airport special projects fund.

Commissioners discussed and then approved removing $4,250,000 in budgeted transfers from the 2026 general fund because the transfers will instead be recorded in 2025. During debate, staff explained that some amounts were previously budgeted as either transfers or expenditures in different fiscal years and the motions consolidated those entries.

The commission also approved funding for fairgrounds capital work. Discussion showed disagreement about the requested amount; one commissioner said an original request of $950,000 should be reduced nearer to $750,000, while the motion recorded in the minutes moved a lesser amount described in the motion and was approved. The transcript contains inconsistent numeric phrasing for that motion; the transfer was recorded as passing on roll call.

All votes on the measures were carried by roll call with ayes recorded from the listed commissioners and the chair. The meeting record shows commissioners moved, seconded and then approved each motion in turn.

What happens next: staff will implement the transfers in the county’s accounting system and proceed with the planned disbursements and capital project spending as the special funds are activated.