Marion restores budget schedule

By JUDD WEIL

Staff writer

After two years without a structured budgeting process, the City of Marion is attempting to return to a formal schedule this year, with the first phase already underway.

Department heads submitted initial 2027 budget requests April 24, and council members began reviewing those figures this week.

The change marks a shift from the past two budget cycles, when the city operated without a clearly defined calendar and key decisions were compressed late in the process. In 2025, a proposed budget was published before council members had reviewed it.

This year’s schedule is intended to prevent a repeat.

Under a timeline adopted by the city council, department heads submitted requests April 24. Those were presented to the council Monday. Follow-up discussion is scheduled for May 18 with revised departmental budgets to return June 15.

At this stage, the figures remain preliminary. Department submissions represent initial requests, essentially wish lists, that will be adjusted once revenue projections are known.

“Once you get in the habit, it’s easy to maintain,” Wells said.