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City budget office warns of $29.5 million FY2027 shortfall; council to set priorities ahead of May recommendation
Summary
The city’s budget office told a public hearing it currently forecasts a $29.5 million gap for the FY2027 update and outlined options to close it, while residents and nonprofits urged continued or expanded leverage-support funding for community programs.
At a Cincinnati City Council committee hearing, Doctor Dudes of the city budget office said the FY2027 budget update currently shows a projected deficit of $29.5 million and that staff will work to close the gap through a mix of revenue increases and expenditure reductions to deliver a structurally balanced budget.
The budget presentation laid out the city’s five strategic priorities and reminded the public of the calendar: the city manager’s recommended budget is expected in May and the legal deadline to pass the budget is June 30. Doctor Dudes noted total all-funds budgets for the current fiscal year exceed $2 billion, with general-fund revenue around $569.5 million.
Public-safety spending and personnel costs dominate the general fund, Doctor Dudes said, with roughly 68% of the general-fund allocation going to police, fire and emergency communications and nearly 81% of the general fund spent on personnel and benefits. He also said nearly 84% of general-fund employees are represented by labor contracts, which constrains near-term personnel changes.
On capital, the budget office reported $136 million in general capital resources for FY2026 and said proceeds from the Cincinnati Southern Railway sale provided about $56 million this year, with the largest portion going to Transportation & Engineering projects.
The presentation does not set policy; council must adopt a budget policy motion that frames priorities before the manager’s recommended document is finalized. Doctor Dudes said closing the current forecasted gap will likely require both new revenue options and spending reductions, and staff will return with additional detail as the work continues.
The committee took no formal votes at the hearing; council scheduled the committee’s next public hearing for March 16 at Sailor Park Recreation Center.
