Fort Thomas finance committee reviews amended 2025–26 budget, flags insurance and police spending increases

The Fort Thomas Finance Committee met April 14 to discuss amendments to the 2025–26 budget and an initial draft for 2026–27, with staff proposing higher revenue estimates, insurance-cost increases and additional police spending while council members asked for more detail and time to review.

"The intent of this meeting, in my eyes, is very much a discussion," said the committee chair (speaker 2) as the session opened. Linda, the finance staff member who presented the packet, said staff recommended amending the beginning fund balance to $15,533,965 (per the recent audit) and starting the 2026–27 fiscal year with a projected beginning balance of $12,000,550. Linda presented projected total revenues of about $19,547,000 and projected operating and capital expenses of $23,280,000, leaving a projected ending general-fund balance near $8,817,000.

Why it matters: those projections set the baseline for what the city can spend on services and capital projects next year. Committee members stressed this meeting was an opportunity for questions and changes rather than a final vote — the public hearing is scheduled…