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Delaware City Council adopts 2026 appropriations ordinance, discusses year-end supplemental
Summary
The council passed Ordinance 25-65 (2026 appropriations) as an emergency measure and reviewed a related 2025 supplemental appropriation (Ordinance 25-74) that includes grant-funded reimbursements, a $1,000,000 transfer to parks capital, and increased medical-claim lines.
The Delaware City Council voted to approve Ordinance 25-65, the city’s 2026 appropriations ordinance, and passed the emergency clause to make the measure effective immediately.
Council member Frasier moved to approve the emergency clause and Council member Ryder seconded. After a roll-call vote the motion carried and the ordinance passed as amended.
Why it matters: Passing the appropriation as an emergency lets the city put the 2026 budget into effect before Jan. 1, 2026. Finance staff also brought forward Ordinance 25-74, a year-end supplemental for 2025, to address additional or unforeseen costs through Dec. 31, 2025.
Finance director (Mister Alger) told council the $650,000 line item for Merrick Boulevard is an advance that is grant-funded and will be reimbursed, and said most items on the supplemental had prior finance committee review. He said the city is transferring $1,000,000 from the income-tax fund into the parks and recreation capital fund as a preliminary seed from excess income-tax revenues set aside when prior bonds are paid off. "We're just moving it from one checkbook to another checkbook," Alger said, explaining the transfer was intended to avoid using current income-tax revenue for future capital needs.
Alger also noted large, unpredictable year-end medical claims; he said he approved medical claims totaling $423,000 and that recent years have seen late, unforeseen claims as high as $1.8 million, prompting the supplemental request.
What’s next: Ordinance 25-74 was scheduled for a second reading at the next meeting. The council also discussed related personnel and benefits ordinances that may require timing the emergency clause to align pay adjustments with the new calendar year.
Votes and motions: The emergency clause and final passage of Ordinance 25-65 passed on roll-call votes after motions from Council member Frasier (mover) and Council member Ryder (second). The roll calls recorded unanimous "Yes" responses from the members present.
