Youngstown City Council adopts 2026 temporary budget, OKs $5.5M Mill Creek contract and multiple procurement orders

Youngstown City Council on Dec. 17 adopted a 2026 temporary operating budget, approved a $5,500,000 contract to advance Mill Creek interceptor projects and approved multiple procurement and grant-acceptance measures during a meeting called to order by President Tom Hetrick.

The council voted to approve RES-25-13 authorizing the city to apply for federal Surface Transportation Block Grant funds administered by Eastgate to reconstruct Oak Hill Avenue between W. Woodland and High Street. The project was estimated at $3,271,006 with a required local share of $654,201; the resolution passed after the rules were suspended by a vote of yeas 6, nays none.

Council also read and passed ORD-25-432 to adopt the 2026 temporary operating budget. On a motion by Councilman Mike Ray the rules of council were suspended and the ordinance was placed before council and passed by a vote of yeas 6, nays none. ORD-25-433, a proposed pay raise for certain non-bargaining management positions (4.0% plus $1.00/hour retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026), was read and moved to a second reading rather than being adopted at the meeting.

In infrastructure business, the council approved ORD-25-445, authorizing the board of control to contract with MS Consultants Inc. for construction administration and field representation services for Mill Creek Park interceptor parts 1 and 2 and final design for parts 3 and 4, at a cost not to exceed $5,500,000. The measure was passed after suspension of the rules and a recorded vote of yeas 6, nays none.

The council also approved emergency contracting and payments related to storm- and sanitary-sewer repairs. ORD-25-446 waived formal bidding under Ohio Revised Code §735.051 and substituted Utility Contracting for an emergency replacement payment of $125,507.20 for work in Lincoln Park; the ordinance was amended in council to strike Marucci and Gaffney Excavating Company and insert Utility Contracting, and the amendment passed by a vote of yeas 6. ORD-25-447 authorized payment of $651,975.64 for emergency sanitary-line replacement and related work; that ordinance also passed by yeas 6.

Other financial and procurement actions included a $50,000 payment to satisfy a policy deductible to Tokio Marine HCC-PRG related to claim OPM-20-10351 (ORD-25-443); multiple blanket purchase orders for water-department supplies and materials (ORD-25-434 through ORD-25-442) with amounts ranging from $35,000 to $175,000; and approval to sell a City-owned parcel at 1840 Erie Street to Valley Legends Sports Complex for its appraised value of $64,460 (ORD-25-444).

Council accepted several grants and authorizations including a $5,000 Fueling Futures grant from Enbridge Gas Ohio (ORD-25-450), an IDEP/STEP traffic safety grant for the police department totaling $39,354.50 (ORD-25-451), and $13,000 from the Ohio Department of Commerce to fund a Firefighter 1 class (ORD-25-452). A $358,475 appropriation to establish a 2026 litter control budget was also approved (ORD-25-453). Numerous smaller discretionary expenditures for neighborhood associations, event support, warming-kit distribution and community projects were authorized across multiple ward funds (ORD-25-454 through ORD-25-471).

Votes at a glance RES-25-13 (STBG application for Oak Hill Ave.) — passed; vote: yeas 6, nays 0 ORD-25-432 (2026 temporary operating budget) — passed; vote: yeas 6, nays 0 ORD-25-433 (management pay raises) — moved to second reading (not adopted) ORD-25-445 (MS Consultants contract, ≤$5,500,000) — passed; vote: yeas 6, nays 0 ORD-25-446 (waive bidding/Utility Contracting emergency payment $125,507.20) — passed; vote: yeas 6, nays 0 ORD-25-447 (emergency sanitary repairs payment $651,975.64) — passed; vote: yeas 6, nays 0 ORD-25-443 (insurance deductible payment $50,000) — passed; vote: yeas 6, nays 0 ORD-25-444 (sale of 1840 Erie St. $64,460) — passed; vote: yeas 6, nays 0 Multiple blanket purchase orders and discretionary awards (ORD-25-434 through ORD-25-442, ORD-25-454 through ORD-25-471) — passed; votes: generally yeas 6, nays 0

Why it matters: The temporary budget adoption and contract approvals set short-term operating authority for the city into 2026, allow the Mill Creek interceptor project to move into construction administration and allocate local resources and grants to a range of neighborhood programs and public-safety initiatives. Emergency contracts address immediate infrastructure failures that could affect sewer service and roadways.

What’s next: Several measures took immediate effect under suspension of the rules; ORD-25-433 was moved to a second reading and will return for further consideration. Many projects (for example the Mill Creek work and the Oak Hill Avenue STBG application) will require subsequent administrative and capital approvals before work begins.