Finance staff outlines capital priorities and tight FY27 outlook; IT, fire station, meter replacements flagged

Lori Ausubaugh gave the council a budget update, saying the primary change since the budget workshop is the addition of capital needs to the general fund and that the FY27 days of reserve are expected to tighten. She listed specific items identified as major priorities.

Ausubaugh told the council the city is reviewing a set of unfunded capital needs that include cemetery repairs, $237,000 in information-technology upgrades, public-safety equipment and refuse equipment, and financing for two residential side-load garbage trucks now (with a possible two more next year). She said the city is considering a temporary fire station estimated at $1.5 million and that a permanent facility could be contemplated in fiscal year 2029.

On public safety staffing, Ausubaugh said the city is awaiting certified tax values to determine eligibility for a COPS grant; the grant would fund two officers with a total of $350,000 over three years (year 1: $150,000; year 2: $150,000; year 3: $50,000).

She also reported that the city’s meter registers have exceeded their expected battery life and are failing at a rate of roughly 200–250 meters per month, and that the city has a current grant of $125,000 to help with the FY27 phase of meter replacement.

Ausubaugh said the proposed budget will be filed with the city clerk and posted by July 31; the council will receive additional updates in August and September before final adoption of the budget and tax rate in September.