Warren Mayor Lori Stone’s budget presentation April 14 contained few details about specific line items in the actual 2026 fiscal budget and was more like a tutorial on the City Charter, distribution of tax dollars and the budget process.

The mayor proposed a total budget of $430.5 million, an increase of $84.2 million over the 2025 fiscal budget.

Stone’s proposed budget is now posted on the city website and budget hearings are scheduled for April 26 and 28 and, if needed, April 29. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled to be on the April 22 City Council agenda.

Most in attendance for the presentation, held at the Warren Community Center Auditorium, were city employees and appointees; Melody Magee was the only City Council member present.

“I had to make difficult decisions for prioritizing purchases and looking for additional or alternative funding sources for some expenditures,” said Stone. “Providing the City Council with a balanced budget requires holding off on some investments.

“I have every confidence that the proposed fiscal budget would provide the personnel, equipment and facilities essential to operate our city in the next fiscal year.”

Stone presented the cost of city services like garbage pick up, wastewater treatment, providing clean drinking water and building safety as a bargain for taxpayers.

“I consider local government a public service like a Costco membership,” said Stone. “If each household had to contract for each of these services, if they had to pay for every mile they drove to work, it would not be affordable.

“But by combining our dollars they go farther because generally speaking, costs go down based on size and scale; these are efficiencies that residents of Warren benefit from.”

One specific line item mentioned was a proposed 5.78% increase to water rates, which Stone described as a bargain considering last year water rates were raised 7.5%.

Stone’s proposed budget calls for a $7,000 increase to the mayor’s chief of staff bringing the annual salary to $100,000.

There is a $22,240 increase requested for the salary of the Human Resources Director. The proposed annual salary is $145,600 for the position, which has been vacant since Stone was elected in November of 2023. According to city documents, Jared Gajos was appointed as the city’s HR director on April 9 although as of April 15, the city website still lists Jacqueline Damron as the acting director and no formal announcement has been made of the appointment.

The $143,642 budgeted for the city attorney salary remains the same, although no city attorney has been named after Ethan Vinson was fired in February of 2024. Mary Michaels has been the acting city attorney since that time.

Stone’s proposed budget includes $17 million for road improvements; $8.6 million for water and sewer infrastructure improvements; $2 million in capital improvement funds for building of the new courthouse; and $93.3 million for infrastructure and equipment capital improvements to the wastewater treatment plant.

“Wastewater treatment is important,” said Stone. “Nobody asks what happens after you flush your toilet but it is important that infrastructure is there.

“Our wastewater treatment plan is in need of a lot of investment and repair.”

Stone said she realizes her recommendations may look different than how the City Council chooses to balance the budget when they finalize it in May.

“I realize it is the City Council and not the mayor who holds the power of the purse,” said Stone. “City Council is responsible for setting and adopting the fiscal budget for 2026.”

Stone added she plans to attend the City Council’s budget hearings with various department heads.