Findlay auditor to 'rewind' budget presentation

FINDLAY — The public will have another opportunity to hear Findlay Auditor Jim Staschiak deliver his pre-budget presentation during a meeting hosted by the citizens' group "Put It On The Ballot Findlay." The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday in the Lindamood Room at the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, 206 Broadway St. Organizers are billing the event as "A Rewind with Jim Staschiak II, City Auditor," giving residents a second chance to hear a presentation on the city's budget outlook, economic development strategy, public investments and long-term fiscal stability. Staschiak originally delivered the presentation Sept. 28 during a Committee of the Whole meeting as city officials begin discussing priorities for the 2027 and 2028 budgets. The presentation was intended to provide information and discussion points before the city prepares formal budget recommendations. A Committee of the Whole brings all council members together to discuss issues and receive information in a public setting. The meetings allow council members to ask questions and provide input. No action can be taken. The pre-budget meeting is one of four updates the auditor's office gives to council each year on city finances, along with monthly reports. The routine updates, Staschiak said, help secure Findlay's high bond rating. The city routinely livestreams council and committee meetings on its YouTube channel, Findlay Ohio, allowing the public to watch along or review later. However, there were technical difficulties with the recording of the pre-budget meeting, and the video was not posted to the channel. That left those who did not attend the meeting in person unable to access Staschiak's presentation. Pre-budget numbers show the city's revenues are not keeping pace with expenditures, and that general fund personnel costs have grown from about $18.1 million in 2015 to a projected $32.3 million in 2026. The projections also show the city's unrestricted general fund balance declining from about $30.5 million at the beginning of 2024 to roughly $15.5 million by the beginning of 2027. In the presentation, Staschiak also raises broader questions about the city's economic development strategy, public investments and long-term fiscal stability. The budget discussion comes as city leaders continue to debate the city's role in economic development. A draft framework being reviewed by council's Strategic Planning Committee would formally designate Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development as the community's lead economic development organization, with the city serving as a partner on land use, infrastructure, incentives and public-interest oversight, formalizing a relationship that already exists in practice. The Alliance, which includes Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development and the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, is a private, investor-funded organization composed of major employers, developers, financial institutions and other business stakeholders. It is not a government agency. In recent months, Staschiak has questioned the arrangement, arguing that economic development is a core responsibility of local government, and has called for greater public oversight of development-related spending and taxpayer-funded investments and subsidies. "Put It On The Ballot Findlay" describes itself as a nonpartisan coalition focused on local issues, municipal communication and civic engagement. The group was organized earlier this year by Holly Frische, Patricia J. Klein and Robin Welly during an unsuccessful referendum effort challenging the Shady Grove annexation and zoning. Frische is a former council representative for the city's 1st Ward. Changes to Ohio's petition laws written into the new state budget, House Bill 96, approved in June 2025, have made it significantly harder for residents to place local issues on the ballot. It raised the municipal initiative and referendum signature threshold from 10% to 35% of the votes cast for governor in the most recent regular state election.