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Mansfield officials outline 2026 temporary budget gap and cuts; $7.3M carryover proposed
Summary
City finance staff told council the proposed 2026 temporary budget uses $7.3 million of projected cash carryover to balance a $37.8 million expenditure plan against $30.5 million in projected revenues; administration said it cut roughly $8 million from department asks, prioritizing capital reductions and holding some contingency centrally.
MANSFIELD, Ohio — Mansfield city officials on the budget committee walked council through a preliminary 2026 temporary budget that relies on roughly $7.3 million in carryover to balance projected revenues and expenditures.
Finance Director Kelly Converse told council general-fund revenues are projected at $30,500,000, while proposed expenditures total $37,800,000; "Therefore, $7,300,000 was needed to balance the budget as proposed," she said. The administration described an iterative process of cuts — roughly $8 million removed from department asks — with many reductions focused on capital projects, including deferral of an airport runway item that accounted for much of an earlier higher ask.
On staffing, Converse said four positions were added by ordinance in 2025 (two tax compliance officers, a utility maintenance dispatcher and an operations supervisor for water treatment), but not all are budgeted or filled; actual headcount is near 470 with 637 positions currently authorized by ordinance.
Administration representatives emphasized they aimed to prioritize operations and hold some cushion centrally rather than cutting department operations indiscriminately. The finance director also said no department ran out of budget this year and monthly reports show departments generally under budget year-to-date.
Council members asked targeted questions about expenses over $75,000, police and fire equipment, the timing of planned capital purchases, and possible revenue increases from a new water-main tax. The mayor said the city is exploring a split operating/capital budget and possible legislation to restrict certain cash carryover uses to ensure longer-term sustainability.
"When I was handed the general fund budget, I had to cut $8,000,000 out of it from the asks," the mayor said, describing the work to prioritize spending. Finance staff noted that grant funds (over $4,000,000) are a major revenue source and real-estate tax collections were slightly above projections.
What’s next: Council will have another read and a final vote on the temporary budget at the next scheduled meeting (the administration signaled a second reading and final vote on Dec. 16 in the transcript). The temporary budget would carry the city from Jan. 1 to March 31 pending the finalized 2026 budget.
Provenance: Topic introduction SEG 398; topic finish SEG 3120.
Speakers quoted/used: Kelly Converse (Finance Director), Mayor Perry.
