Akron City Council has unanimously approved a nearly $800 million operating budget with a few changes to what Mayor Shammas Malik initially requested.
On Monday, council approved $245,000 for several new expenses.
The changes include $50,000 for after-school programming; $45,000 for a part-time data analyst for the city’s police oversight board, $100,000 for the nonprofit Keep Akron Beautiful and $50,000 for the city’s mowing program.
The increase will be offset by trimming expenses in other departments to keep the budget at $798 million as originally requested, Director of Finance Steve Fricker said.
That includes reductions of $150,000 for street lighting and $95,000 initially budgeted for property tax payments, Fricker said.
“This is basically a nine, 10-month process that we go through, and it’s a lot of work for everyone across the board,” Council Vice President Jeff Fusco said after Monday's vote. “These discussions take quite a while, in terms of going over the budget, and [I] appreciate all those efforts.”
Since proposing the budget at the beginning of March, Malik and administration officials have heard feedback from city council members and community members.
After the budget was approved Monday night, several council members thanked finance department officials for the changes.
“We thank the administration for listening to the concerns that were expressed and revamping some areas and finding dollars to prioritize those areas that are critically important to our city,” Councilmember Linda Omobien said.
Omobien voiced support of the additional funding for after-school programming in partnership with Akron Public Schools.
“We know that the after-school programming has served this city well, in terms of giving our children the extra help they need, and the grants are not as plentiful as they used to be,” Omobien said. “For the city administration and the finance team to readjust the budget to incorporate more dollars in that area, I think, is fantastic. It shows where our priorities should be.”
The Citizens’ Police Oversight Board asked for additional funds for a data analyst during budget hearings, but that request did not make it into Malik’s original budget.
The part-time data analyst will help the police auditor’s office, which handles investigations into police misconduct and use-of-force incidents, said Brandyn Costa, the board’s budget committee chair.
Akron’s finance department initially wanted to wait to hire for this role until the board implemented a new case management software, Fricker said.
“I want us to wait until that software is actually in place until we look at hiring additional staff,” Fricker said. “I think that our IT staff can help with the development of some of those things.”
Costa appreciated that suggestion, but said a part-time analyst solely dedicated to the board is preferred.
“I think that's a little different than having a dedicated individual who doesn't have demands on their times ... that we can steer and direct the work to the extent that we would like,” Costa said.
Omobien asked the city to find $35,000 for the board to hire that position. The city ended up adding $45,000.
“It speaks volumes to the citizens of Akron that we’re taking this oversight committee seriously and trying to do the work that’s necessary,” Omobien said after the budget was approved.
What else is in the budget?
The budget proposes a two percent decrease in spending compared to last year’s budget. Malik proposed a ‘more limited’ budget this year amid looming federal and state funding cuts, and he is looking for other ways to save money and generate revenue this year, he said.
“This is a budget that seeks to be more limited, while making a couple of investments where it is more targeted,” Malik said.
Malik’s top priorities are public safety, core city services, programming to prevent gun violence and provide more opportunities for youth, as well as fiscal responsibility, he said.
Staffing accounts for 71% of the budget, Malik said.
The city is budgeting for 488 uniformed police officers and 402 firefighters and paramedics, the same number as last year’s budget.
A big change in the budget this year is how certain public safety positions are funded. Seventy-five public safety positions previously funded by federal COVID-19 relief dollars - $49 million over the past five years – will now be charged to the city’s general fund, finance department officials said.
The city has a forecasted $13 million shortfall of revenues compared to expenditures, Malik said. This will be balanced with $8 million in interest earnings from American Rescue Plan Act funds and a $5 million draw from a portion of the city's income tax dedicated to funding police, fire and road improvements, Malik said.
Several factors account for the shortfall, including income tax revenue not keeping pace with inflation, he said.
The city has proposed a $1 million investment to replace cardiac monitors in emergency medical services vehicles, Malik said. Malik would also like to create a new position to help manage public safety, he said.
The city also plans to add two positions in the Plans and Permits department, he said.
Other new investments include $125,000 to pilot an expanded pre-K and childcare initiative focused on recruitment, training and professional development and $100,000 in sports and wellness programming for youth, he added.
Malik has also budgeted $73,000 for a hospital-linked violence prevention coordinator to provide crisis intervention and counseling after incidents of gun violence, he said.
