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Finance committee shifts 2% of income-tax allocation from police to capital and general fund to help pay for sidewalks
Summary
The Medina finance committee approved a one-percentage-point reallocation of income-tax revenue — reducing the police share from 40% to 38% and directing 1% to the general fund and 1% to general-purpose capital — with the change made retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026. The council said the move will help fund sidewalks and other capital projects.
Speaker 1 proposed and the committee approved a modification to the city's income-tax allocation (Item 2628), reducing the police share from 40% to 38% and allocating 1% to the general fund and 1% to general-purpose capital.
Speaker 1 said the city's current income-tax collections are about $20.5 million and that 1% of collections is roughly $200,000, a sum the council argued would help pay for sidewalks and other capital work. "So my suggestion was to take the income tax allocation that is currently on the books for 2025 ... make the modification, just taking police down from 40 to 38 and putting 1% in general and 1% in the general purpose capital," Speaker 1 said during the meeting.
Council members discussed timing and bookkeeping for the change. Committee members asked whether the adjustment should apply going forward or be made retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026. Speaker 2 noted the January allocation had already been made but that changing it retroactively was administratively straightforward and that the city typically runs allocations on a full-year basis to simplify tracking.
Speaker 5 moved to approve the reallocation and later moved that the change be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026; Speaker 4 seconded both motions. The committee voted vocally and the motion carried. The meeting transcript records the outcome as "Motion carries" but does not include a roll-call tally.
Why it matters: committee members said the reallocation will create a modest, dedicated stream for capital projects such as sidewalks without leaving the police department without sufficient funding; the city indicated police retain carry-forward balances and other reserves. Speaker 3 and others also urged the committee to re-establish a formal capital projects list to prioritize spending.
What's next: the committee approved the change and made it retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026; staff will implement the revised allocation and report back through regular budget procedures.
