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Huber Heights presents balanced 2026 budget, highlights near-$1M TIF payment to schools
Summary
City staff presented a structurally balanced 2026 budget, projected about 5% income-tax growth, recommended several new public-safety and administrative positions, and confirmed roughly $1,000,005 was paid to Huber Schools from TIF proceeds in 2025; staff also discovered a $2 million sewer‑fund revenue entry to be added before final approval.
Huber Heights officials on Dec. 2 presented a proposed 2026 budget they described as legally and structurally balanced and centered on continued investment in infrastructure and public safety. Alex, a member of the management team, said the budget incorporates a transition to new financial software and 10 years of historical data intended to speed future budget work. "We have a legally balanced budget, and it is structurally balanced as well," finance staff told the council during the presentation.
The administration proposed modest staffing additions and assumptions for next year: three patrol officers, one additional dispatcher, one parks maintenance technician, two paid interns and one additional accountant in finance, and a 5% cost-of-living adjustment, staff said. The presentation listed capital priorities including water meter replacement, sewer-lining work and bike-path engineering, and noted ARPA funds are closed out for the city.
Finance Director Jim Bell and staff projected roughly a 5% year‑over‑year increase in income-tax revenue for 2026, reflecting new and expanding employers and residential growth factored into the revenue forecast. Council and staff also discussed long‑term debt strategies tied to falling interest rates and the city's recent S&P rating of "AA-" (double A minus), which staff said positions the city to lock favorable long-term rates.
On TIF payments, council discussed the year‑to‑date distribution of Montgomery County TIF revenues. Jim Bell said the city has been processing and remitting school shares and that, "we paid 1,000,005 to Huber schools in 2025." Bell also told the council a separate bookkeeping correction discovered late in the process: $2,000,000 in note proceeds intended for the Sewer Capital Fund had not been entered into the budget presentation and will be added before Monday's council meeting so fund balances reflect the correct receipts.
The presentation will be on the Monday council agenda for formal readings and approval. Council members praised staff for the level of detail and for the new budgeting tools, and said they will review the final numbers once the updated sewer‑fund revenue is included.
