MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon City Council members adopted a 2025 budget on Monday that includes $3.6 million for capital improvements.
City Treasurer David Stuller anticipates $20.5 million in revenue for 2025. General fund revenue for 2024 will reach slightly more than $19.5 million.
The $67,519,168.46 budget includes appropriations of $15,668,106.96 in the general fund and $50,851,061.50 in the non-general fund.
The general fund is discretionary revenue. It currently has a carry-over of $982,870, but Safety-service Director Tanner Salyers said it is larger.
“There is not enough data to provide a more accurate figure as we are working with the auditor’s office closing out purchase orders,” he explained. “We’ll have a better figure as we get further along.”
The non-general fund includes American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money, grants, bond payments, and other restricted revenue.
“The appropriations cover what we need to pay, but we are still working on some clarity of the bonds: what the principal is, and the total bill that we need to pay each year,” Salyers said.
Council members should have a report by March showing the city’s bond status as they plan for 2026 capital projects.
Additionally, Salyers said the city is over-appropriating for pensions. Depending on the status of Ohio House Bill 296, he anticipates appropriating less in the 2026 budget.
HB 296 requires municipalities to increase police pension contributions from 19.5% to 24% over six years.
The 2025 carryover for the non-general fund is just under $11.86 million. It includes $5M in TIF (Tax Increment Financing) and $2M in unspent ARPA money.
It does not include the $3 million in the reserve balance account.
Capital improvements in the 2025 budget
In addition to the general and non-general funds, the city appropriated just over $3.6 million for capital improvements and nearly $1.5 million for roads and bridges.
These accounts are in the non-general budget but are funded with general fund dollars.
Capital improvement projects for 2025 include finishing the splash pad and Dan Emmett neighborhood projects.
Other projects include the Mansfield Avenue shared-use path, brick street repair, WiFi connectivity at Memorial and Riverview parks, sidewalks, and street resurfacing.
The city will also use utility and grant money to help pay for the projects.
“I feel very comfortable with what this budget is for this year, and I’m really happy that we have it done before the end of the year. I look forward to next year having a repeat of this,” Council member Amber Keener said.
“It’s a much better system, and it’s a good way moving forward.”
She said the process was more transparent, especially regarding capital improvement projects.
Salyers said the administration will work with the public works and utilities departments on a project list. The plan is to hold meetings during council sessions and also neighborhood meetings.
Council member Tammy Woods noted that some 2024 expenses went toward municipal buildings, and the council appropriated funds for them in the 2025 budget. She again asked how the administration plans to pay for them.
Salyers responded that a variety of sources will pay for the buildings once the city determines the final locations and costs of the buildings.
Legislative session
In addition to adopting the 2025 budget, council members waived the three readings and granted two easements to the Ohio Power Company (DBA American Electric Power).
The current electric supply to 18 E. Vine St. is not adequate for the power needs of Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s academic hub on the lower level. The easements enable the building to draw power from a power line in Spice Alley.
Crews will run an overhead line across the city’s parking lot on Gay Street, then bore under Gay Street to provide 1200 amp service to 18 E. Vine St.
Council members also waived the three readings and approved a fund transfer. Legislation authorizing the administration to apply for federal funds through Community Project Funding received a first read.
Public participation
Joel Mazza spoke to the council about the condition of the infrastructure and street lights on Burgess, Hamtramck, and Sandusky streets.
“We’re in dire need of sidewalk repair on Burgess and curbs on Hamtramck and Sandusky,” he said. “The brick streets are in absolutely terrible condition. In addition, the sewer and water lines in those areas are original and clay.”
When he started renovating the former Mulberry Street school into The Grad, Mazza noted the city planned to get grants for infrastructure work.
“This entire city block sat vacant, before we took over, almost 26 years, and I really think the community deserves every nickle we can put in this area to bring this area up to par,” he said.
Historic preservation
Residents Vicki Fitzgerald and Vicki Adams spoke about preserving historic downtown buildings.
Fitzgerald acknowledged that the public knows why the Plaza Building needs replacing but pointed out that the city wants to save the parking garage portion, which has required shoring up over the years.
“If the city believes the historic buildings they want to demolish are too far gone to save or are unsafe, why have they not had experts in restoration and mitigation go through the buildings as they obviously have done for the [Plaza] Building?” she asked.
She asked why the city has not had to submit demolition plans to the Historic Review Committee since the buildings are in the downtown Historic District and why it has not requested a building design that would cover the footprint of the plaza and water department buildings.
Adams disagreed with the proposed demolition of the buildings on Public Square and spoke about the significance of Henry B. Curtis, who built the building at 10-16 N. Main St.
“We should be embracing this structure, not destroying it. No matter how bad it is condition-wise, it can be saved,” she said.