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Clawson council adopts FY2026–27 budget after trimming $100,000 chamber renovation
Summary
The Clawson City Council on May 19 approved the FY2026–27 combined city budget after amending a $100,000 chamber reconstruction line to $50,000, correcting a narrative error about LED street lighting, and agreeing to pursue flood-remediation work after an engineering study.
The Clawson City Council voted on May 19 to adopt the city’s FY2026–27 combined budget after approving two midstream changes: reducing a $100,000 city-chamber reconstruction allocation to $50,000 and removing misplaced narrative language about LED street lighting.
City Manager (speaker 2) opened the public hearing on the proposed budgets and reviewed statutory notice requirements under Michigan’s Act 43 of 1963. Councilmember Tinland (speaker 6) led questioning about several line items, including the operation of the Renshaw Apartments and whether property-tax revenue would change if the city stopped operating the building; staff recommended consulting the county assessor for a precise estimate.
Tinland pressed staff on reserve balances and on a $50,000 engineering proposal for flood remediation in chronically flooded neighborhoods. Staff said the $50,000 study targeted two specific problem spots and that final remediation costs could range widely depending on engineers’ recommendations. Several council members said they preferred to prioritize resident flooding concerns and to find cheaper short-term fixes if possible.
Council members also debated the scope of the city-chamber reconstruction. Mayor Susan Moffitt and others argued that, given the city’s deficit for the year, the council should prioritize safety and security upgrades rather than a full chamber remodel. City staff told the council they expected a vendor to provide two proposals—one focused on security and one including efficiency/configuration changes—before fiscal-year close; council agreed to limit the current appropriation pending those detailed options.
Councilmember Tinland moved an amendment to (1) change the $100,000 chamber-reconstruction line to $50,000 for building safety/security, and (2) correct the stray LED-street-lighting language in the budget narrative. Following a second and roll-call, the council approved the budget as amended.
The council did not adopt a binding commitment to a specific remediation plan for flooding at the May 19 meeting but directed staff to return with engineering findings at the June 16 meeting and indicated a preference to fund remediation from available funds (general fund, water/sewer, or bond funds) once the engineers’ recommendations are known.
