Toledo residents will learn the city’s 2027 budget this weekend, as the deadline for council approval arrives on Sunday, according to 13abc.com. The budget comes after voters rejected a proposed quarter‑percent income tax increase, a defeat that city leaders say could force layoffs and cuts to city services.
Mayor Lori Saul and her administration warned that the loss of the tax revenue puts the city on a “radar” for potential staff reductions. Councilman George Sarantou (I) echoed that warning, saying, “Clearly the administration is going to have to have major proposals for reductions in expenditures. And that’s what we’re going to be waiting on to see what they do.”
Sarantou, who sits on the council’s finance committee, stressed that public safety remains the top priority. “In my book, public safety is number one. That’s our biggest and huge responsibility that we have and we have to preserve public safety as much as possible,” he told 13abc.com. While he hopes to avoid cuts to police and fire departments, he acknowledged that those departments have been discussed as possible targets.
The city’s spokeswoman confirmed that budget numbers are still being finalized and that council members will scrutinize the details once they are released. “We have to see what those numbers are specifically and what the negative effect is. You certainly cannot decimate a department or several departments in the city of Toledo. All of the departments have to be functioning, not only because of federal and state funding but because we have to serve the public,” Sarantou added.
One area that has already been mentioned as vulnerable is the municipal swimming pool system. In recent weeks, officials hinted that the pools could be a “budget casualty” if the income tax measure failed. With the measure now defeated at the ballot box, the possibility of pool closures or reduced hours looms.
City council members will receive the draft budget on Sunday and are expected to hold public hearings before voting on the final version. The council’s decisions will shape the city’s fiscal health for the next year, influencing everything from public safety staffing to recreational amenities.
What’s next: Council members will review the proposed budget on Sunday and schedule hearings in the coming days. Residents can attend the meetings to voice concerns about potential service cuts, and the final budget will be voted on before the end of the month.
Sources: 13abc.com
