Lakewood Finance Committee Meeting – February 9, 2026
Lakewood Finance Committee Meeting – February 9, 2026
The Lakewood Finance Committee met on February 9, 2026, at 7:04 PM in the City Hall Auditorium to consider several ordinances related to fund transfers, equipment leases, salary classifications, and 2026 budget priorities. All committee members were present. The meeting was livestreamed on the city's website.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The committee unanimously approved the minutes of the December 15, 2025 Finance Committee meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the meeting.
Discussion Items
-
Ordinance 04-2026 – Fund Transfers and Advances: Director Mahoney explained that the ordinance authorizes standard transfers from the General Fund to support Winterhurst Ice Rink ($325,000), Office on Aging IIIB ($225,000), and wastewater debt service payments ($500,000 from wastewater treatment plant fees to the Debt Service Fund; $325,000 from wastewater improvements to the treatment plant fund). Additionally, advances from federal funds (e.g., CDBG, Emergency Shelter Grant, HOME Fund) to the General Fund repay loans made in late 2025 due to revenue timing differences. Councilman Bullock clarified that the federal reimbursements have been received. The ordinance was favorably referred to full council unanimously.
-
Ordinance 05-2026 – Equipment Leases: This ordinance authorizes lease-purchase agreements for $2,375,000 to acquire vehicles and equipment over five years, including a fire medical squad ($385,000), fire special ops truck ($600,000), five police vehicles ($420,000), a refuse packer truck ($415,000), a salt truck ($285,000), and two sewer trucks ($135,000 each). Director Mahoney described the leases as “car loans” with interest rates around 3%, earning interest until drawn down. Councilwoman Strebig noted the rate is better than typical savings. Councilman Evans confirmed the total is slightly less than prior years due to using some cash and avoiding a large fire engine purchase. Councilwoman Hamilton Steiner clarified that the city will own the equipment after five years. The ordinance was favorably referred unanimously.
-
Ordinance 37-2025A – Salary Classifications and Pay Grades: This ordinance updates pay grade classifications and license/certification supplements for non-bargaining unit employees to mirror recently adopted collective bargaining agreements. Director Mahoney explained the changes simplify payroll. Council President Kepple noted the removal of duplicate entries (master municipal clerk). Councilman Bullock asked about the city architect position, which has been vacant for several years; Mayor George stated the position was not refilled due to workload changes but remains in the ordinance for future need. The ordinance was favorably referred unanimously.
-
Communication on 2026 Council Budget Priorities: A communication from Councilmembers Bullock, Hamilton Steiner, and Evans outlining continued work on unfunded budget priorities was received and filed by unanimous motion.
-
Ordinance 33-2025A – Appropriations Amendment (Substitute): Councilman Bullock, sponsor, introduced a substitute amendment to the original ordinance. The substitute strikes the original Section 1 and instead uses whereas clauses to express council’s intent to spend up to $520,000 from the Economic Development Fund (projected balance of $1.5 million at year-end) on specific priorities: composting program ($50,000 already approved), traffic calming ($60,000 after amendment from $50,000), pedestrian and bike safety improvements ($150,000), public art maintenance ($30,000), block club program ($20,000), and other items. The substitute does not compel spending but authorizes the administration to expend up to those amounts. Councilman Bullock emphasized this approach preserves the structurally balanced budget. Director Mahoney noted the process would be better integrated into the June budget discussions. After amending the traffic calming amount to $60,000, the substitute was adopted unanimously, and the ordinance was favorably referred to full council.
-
Ordinance 34-2025A – General Contracting Authority: This ordinance authorizes the Mayor, Directors, and Procurement Officer to enter into contracts for professional services, supplies, and equipment as outlined in the 2026 budget. No changes were proposed; the ordinance was favorably referred unanimously.
-
Ordinance 36-2025A – Planning Department Contracting Authority: Councilman Bullock noted a typo in the amount for pedestrian and bike safety improvements (should be $210,000 not $200,000) but deferred to the earlier amendment. The committee amended the authorized officials list to add the Director of Human Services, Director of Human Resources, and replace “Purchasing Manager” with “Procurement Officer” to match other budget ordinances. The amended ordinance was favorably referred unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- All ordinances were favorably referred to full City Council with unanimous votes.
- The committee successfully reconciled the budget priorities process by using non-binding intent language rather than mandatory appropriations, allowing flexibility for the administration.
- A future Finance Committee meeting was scheduled to discuss the audit committee proposal and cannabis fund allocations.
Meeting Transcript
I will go ahead and call uh the February 9th, although it feels like January 800th uh meeting of the Finance Committee to order uh at 704. All the committee members are here and all my council colleagues as well. Um the first order of business is the review and approval of the December 15th, 2025 Finance Committee meeting minutes. Uh is there a motion to approve? So moved. Uh second. All those in f or any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Uh so moved. Uh and then we have a couple items uh that we want to get through the night. Uh the first one is ordinance uh 04-2026, uh which is uh transfer and advances ordinance. Uh as you look through it, it looks like we are doing one of our standard transfers of uh funds out of the general fund and into uh Winterhurst and Office on Aging, uh, as well as some wastewater improvement and um and into the debt service funds. Um and additionally some it looks to be Federal funds uh out of the general fund. Or I guess help me understand that, Director Mahoney. It looks like what we're doing is maybe fronting some of that money or paying ourselves back. Are you talking about the the advances out of the yeah? Yeah, the advances out from those are to pay to pay ourselves back from what we did at the end of 2025. So those are from the all those funds. At the end of 25, we um needed to advance due to timing differences of receding some revenues, and now uh once now those revenues have been received and we can pay back the general fund. So that's what that's doing. Great, thank you. Um then the other ones seem to be um standard procedure. And I to help me understand these funds on the debt service payment at least, uh we're essentially transferring out of the general fund and and for those wastewater treatment plan improvements. Is that from ease from residents uh as it relates to like stormwater and sewer, and then we're putting it into a fund to then pay the debt? Uh yeah. Yes. So the first transfer, the $325,000 to Winterhurst and Aging, that's simply to help fund those funds that they can't uh that they need the extra funding just to keep keep operations. The debt service payments are um from the wastewater treatment plant, uh those were fees, and those help pay the debt service on you know the sewer improvements and things like that. Likewise uh from 512 to 511, that's that's just similar from fees uh receeded by the residents and the property tax uh receeded to help pay the debt service for sewer improvements. Okay. I think I understand any questions from committee members? Yes. Councilman Bullock? Thanks, Mr. Chair. Uh thank Director Mahoney. The um just uh a couple of questions in the same vein. So for the C D B G funds writ large, um, have those check checks now been received? In other words, the Federal Government has paid us or were they were not received at the end of December, but now they have been received. Okay, so you have got them in hand now. Yes, got it. Okay. Um secondly, and and if the if we hadn't, we'd not see that on this and maybe show up in the second quarter, is that the idea? Uh that's correct. Okay. Thanks. And then for um wastewater for for transferring from fund 512 wastewater treatment plan improvements to fund 511, isn't that capital to operations, or what are we you needing the monies in 511 for? That's that that pays for both 301 and 511, those are um to paid some of the debt service from uh sewer improvements. So they're they're both similar, just um one some is paid from the debt service fund and some is paid from the wastewater treatment plan fund.
openpublica.com