Mayor’s First Budget Goes to Council for Vote

The last council meeting of the year will see the city attempt to put a bow on planning for 2025

CITY HALL – Mayor Roger Reinert’s first budget is up for a vote at the last city council meeting of the year.

Mayor Reinert making an appearance at the final city council meeting of 2024, as the council considers his budget proposal. The 2025 budget is the first budget the mayor’s created since assuming office. Before Monday’s meeting, Mayor Reinert shared how it felt navigating the budget process for the first time.

“I think the lesson learned for me is I want to I personally want to start earlier in that process,” Reinert said.

The mayor said attempting to navigate a previous mayor’s budget was difficult to accommodate. “We had about $1.1 million to work with.
And we had, I think, about $7 million and asks, so then it was like, hey, boss, now make the tough decisions.”

The budget has been touted by the mayor’s office for the absence of a tax levy increase over the next year; however, union members with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), who are at odds with the mayor over contract negations, made it clear that not everyone backs the mayor.

During public comments, Brandon Quaid, a member of AFSCME 66, said in part, “Mayor Reiner, keep your campaign promises to the residents of this city to support core services, as well as your promise to ask me, workers to raise our wages where they rightfully should be. You’ve experienced employees we do have working for the city and recruit qualified individuals to fill open positions citywide. Thank you.”

The 2025 budget passed at tonight’s council meeting 9-0.