City Council hears mid-year budget review

It appears Findlay's budget is emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, with officials beginning to consider what's next for the city's future. That seemed to be the overarching theme during Findlay City Council's mid-year budget review, presented Tuesday by City Auditor Jim Staschiak. He said it's clear that financial help from both the federal and state government helped the city balance its operating budget through the pandemic. Next, city officials could look to take a more active role in local economic development. City income tax collections are running significantly above the projected $21.6 million for 2021 and are on track to set a record. Business receipts are up about 177%, Staschiak said. At mid-year, general fund receipts are at $14.6 million, or about 58% of the budget. Staschiak said while Findlay was again ranked first in business growth among 575 small cities nationwide in 2020, the city's ability to maintain growth — its future economic strength — should be closely examined by the council. Each year, Site Selection magazine, an official publication of Global FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) Association and the Industrial Asset Management Council, issues the rankings. This year, however, Staschiak said the groups called into question Findlay's "POLICOM ranking," which gauges the economic strength of micropolitan areas. Findlay's rank among the 543 micropolitan areas analyzed by POLICOM dropped from 23rd in 2019 to 112th this year. POLICOM Corp. is an independent economics research firm that specializes in analyzing the dynamics of local and state economies. Mayor Christina Muryn challenged POLICOM's numbers on Tuesday, saying that the difficulty of maintaining a top ranking over a sustained period of time could account for the slip. But Staschiak said it's still something the council should consider, especially as the city moves forward with strategic planning. For example, in Tuesday's budget review, Staschiak said warehouses now make up 45% of the mapped acreage for Findlay's industry, manufacturing and warehousing, but account for a very small amount of revenue to the city. He said manufacturing is the largest income producer for the city, and it also creates greater "linkages," or networking between businesses, and "employment multipliers," or impact to other employment opportunities in the community. "Let's make no mistake: It is the business community's job to make money. It is the city council's job to set policy parameters which ensure development and growth benefits the entire community," Staschiak said in the report. The council's Strategic Planning Committee has started the task of setting guidelines for proposals that will eventually be submitted by the four consulting firms vying to facilitate the development of a new citywide plan. The entire 2021 Mid-Year Budget Review report is available on the city's website at www.findlayohio.com. The link can be found on the auditor's page. Grant: 419-427-8412