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Cincinnati budget office projects $29.5 million shortfall for FY2027; director outlines options
Summary
Budget Director Andrew Dutis told the Cincinnati City Council budget committee that the city projects a roughly $29.5 million general‑fund shortfall for fiscal 2027, highlighted FY2026 spending priorities and said the gap will be closed with a mix of revenue increases and expenditure reductions.
Budget Director Andrew Dutis told the Cincinnati City Council budget committee that the city is working to close a projected $29.5 million general‑fund gap for fiscal year 2027 while preserving five strategic priorities including public safety, economic opportunity and equitable service delivery.
"We always want to pass a structurally balanced budget," Dutis said during a presentation to the committee. He described the current fiscal‑year operating budget as approximately $1.3 billion (operating) and just under $2.1 billion on an all‑funds basis, and said general‑fund revenue for the current fiscal year is $569.5 million.
Dutis listed public safety as the single largest share of general‑fund spending and said personnel and benefits represent nearly 81% of general‑fund expenditures. He noted that 83.6% of general‑fund employees are represented by bargaining units, and that multi‑year labor contracts can affect budgets over several years.
On capital spending, Dutis said the city had about $136 million in general capital resources for FY2026, including large disbursements from the infrastructure trust tied to the Cincinnati Southern Railway sale. He said roughly $56 million of trust disbursements were available this fiscal year and that the largest capital share went to the Department of Transportation and Engineering for street rehabilitation, bridge maintenance, traffic signals and related projects.
Looking to FY2027, Dutis said the $29.5 million shortfall would likely be closed through some combination of revenue increases and expenditure reductions and that staff are reviewing all available options. He outlined the committee and council schedule that will lead to a mayoral recommended budget in May and a council approval goal before the June 30 fiscal‑year deadline.
The presentation included a reminder that the city organizes budget items around five strategic priorities—public safety and health, growing economic opportunities, thriving neighborhoods, fiscal sustainability and equitable service delivery—and that departments are asked to align requests to those priorities.
Next steps: departments will present in committee over the coming weeks, the administration will produce a recommended budget in May for the mayor, and the council aims to approve an FY2027 budget before June 30.
