City Council holds first reading of the 2025 Budget

Circleville City Council provided the public with the first public reading of the city’s 2025 Budget.

If there is no new safety forces levy, budget cuts may be ahead for the 2026 Budget because a $2 million shortfall in the General fund is expected.

“But if a new levy does not pass, we still have to pay our safety forces, so we would have to take all the money to cover that out of the General Fund,” said Council member Sheri Theis said during the council meeting held June 18.

Theis explained that this would deplete the General Fund in one year, after which there would be a cut to all kinds of other programs like parks, streets, and everything else the city does except for utilities.

Councilman Zach Brooks acknowledged that there have been mistakes made in the police department, and expressed concern that these mistakes might not be able to be fixed if cuts are required.

There will be a special council meeting Tuesday, June 25, to allow for a second public reading of the Budget, which will allow the budget to be passed on Tuesday, July 2, the first regular meeting of City Council in July.

The Total Budget for 2025 will be $28,467,415, which includes spending for the Government Fund and the Enterprise Fund. The Government Fund will be $16,964,597 which will cover the costs of the city administration and services, except utilities. The Enterprise Fund will be about $11.5 Million and will cover the cost of operating the water and wastewater treatment plants. The city collects money from Circleville residents to cover the costs of the Enterprise Fund. The city’s 2.5% income tax covers about $10 Million of the Government Fund.

On December 31, 2024, the income tax rate will fall to 2.0% as the special forces levy for the police and fire departments will expire. That will reduce the receipts from the city’s income tax by approximately $2 Million.

That 0.5% special forces levy set to expire at year-end normally goes into an account from which the safety forces are paid, eliminating the necessity to pay the safety forces any monies from the General Fund.

In other matters before the council, Theis announced that there is an opening on the Historical Review Board due to the retirement of Paul Johnson. Citizens interested in this position can find the application on the city’s website where they can complete the application and submit it online. Applications are due on or before June 30.

Mayor Michelle Blanton shared with the council the many activities she has been involved with since the last council meeting, including that she has been meeting with community leaders to discuss the possibility of developing a new community center.

Richie Verito, Chairman of the Historical Review Board, acknowledged that there is now a vacancy on his board. He thanked Paul Johnson for his many years of service. Verito also informed the council that his board is collecting information for a database covering all of the real estate in the downtown area. This will be an inventory, a list, of all of the properties downtown.

Council President Keller informed the council that there was an opening on the JEDD Board, formally known as the City of Circleville — Pickaway Township Joint Economic Development District. Keller announced that former council President Dave Crawford would be filling the vacancy.