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Hudson council presses departments to cut spending as FY27 shortfall looms; special meeting set
Summary
Council members reviewed department budgets after staff reported an approximate $340,000 deficit, discussed cuts to police and library hours, clarified township fire funding and agreed to meet March 30 to finalize numbers and set a public hearing on the FY27 budget.
The Hudson City Council undertook an hours‑long review of its proposed fiscal‑year 2027 budget and directed staff and department heads to pursue further cuts and clarifications to close a projected deficit.
Staff presented a preliminary bottom‑line shortfall cited in the meeting as about $340,000. Councilors pressed department representatives on cost drivers and possible reductions, including staff levels in public safety and open hours at the library.
Police department representative Danny said the department logged roughly 150 calls in February and described current shift schedules and the anticipated return of an officer in June. "It's really the weekends where the on‑call comes," Danny said, outlining how overtime and weekend coverage affect operating costs. Council members discussed options including a temporary reduction in on‑duty staffing, capping patrol mileage to lower fuel expenses and shifting some training online.
Fire and ambulance funding drew sustained attention. Jared, the fire representative, reviewed wages, a previously ordered tanker payment and "mutual aid" charges paid to county agencies. Councilors noted a lack of clarity about how payments from townships have been applied in prior years; staff said the 28E agreements on file do not clearly direct that township payments be placed into long‑term vehicle reserves and recommended a meeting with township officials to reconcile expectations and documentation.
Library director Mary described a plan under which the library foundation would assume materials and programming costs, which would raise the library’s revenue offset. She also proposed a building LED retrofit estimated at about $12,625 and warned of state legislation under consideration that could shift library governance and donation oversight to the council.
On the SRO (school resource officer) program, staff said they will pursue a revised contract asking the school district to pay half of the officer’s 12‑month salary rather than nine months, which could increase revenue if the district approves the change.
Council members asked staff to verify spreadsheet numbers and to produce an updated budget the next day. The council set a special follow‑up meeting for Monday, March 30 at 5:30 p.m. to refine numbers and set the public hearing required for budget adoption. A short procedural motion to adjourn closed the session.
The council did not adopt final budget figures at the meeting; department heads were asked to return with more detailed options for cuts and the city clerk said she would circulate corrected numbers before the next meeting.
