Findlay's deficit holding steady

FINDLAY — May's financial report from the Findlay Auditor's Office shows the city's operating budget still outpacing revenue at the end of the year by about $5.8 million. The city's financial picture has barely shifted since January. Findlay began 2026 with a budgeted $5.9 million General Fund deficit, and five months into the year, the shortfall remains essentially unchanged, according to the auditor's report. That lack of movement hasn't escaped Councilman Dan DeLong, R-7, who was one of only two council members to vote against the budget in January due to concerns about spending and the deficit. "For the year, we're still looking at a deficit of $5,843,035. I just want that to go on the record," said DeLong at the June 16 regular meeting of council. Mayor Christina Muryn said administrators are tracking both revenue and expenditures for the year and remain confident the city can overcome the deficit and "break even" or better. Left unchecked, the city's General Fund carryover — the cash balance used to close the gap created by deficit spending — drops sharply. The city began 2026 with a $20.44 million unappropriated cash balance. Current estimates show the city starting 2027 with $14.59 million, a decline of $5.84 million. Newly filed revenue estimates for 2027 show a very modest improvement in city revenue next year. General Fund revenue is projected to rise from $36.18 million this year to $36.82 million next year, an increase of $638,150, or 1.76%. When council adopted the 2026 budget in January, the city projected $36.2 million in General Fund revenue against $42.1 million in spending, resulting in a $5.9 million shortfall. A deficit of $5.5 million was also forecast for 2027. Findlay has adopted deficit General Fund budgets for several years and works each year to "break even." However, the city's cash carryover continues to fall, from $30.5 million in 2024, a drop Auditor Jim Staschiak has called "significant" and indicative of a "structural imbalance" in the budget. Muryn has argued that the spend-down of the carryover has been intentional, allowing the city to pay cash for major capital items, beyond operating expenses, without borrowing.