Weirton to re-examine its 2026-2027 budget
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WEIRTON - While it won’t be long before Weirton officials begin planning the city’s finances for the 2027-2028 fiscal year, they first are going to have to take a hard look at their current fiscal budget.
"We have to have some serious conversations," Mayor Dean Harris said, while addressing members of the city’s Finance Committee Thursday afternoon.
Only five months into the 2026-2027 fiscal year, Weirton officials have found themselves having to put some non-essential expenditures temporarily on hold, citing some lower-than-expected revenues.
Finance Director Diana Smoljanovich explained the city experienced a drop in revenue from the sales tax and Business and Occupation tax, both during the previous fiscal year and the early part of the current year, leading to much of the concern.
In addition, however, the city’s collection of its Municipal Service Fee also has been lower than expected, though she said it’s mostly the result of some businesses not withholding the increased rate enacted by the city earlier this year.
Council finalized the fee increase in April, raising it from $2 to $5 per week assessed to every individual working within the city limits. The increase was enacted in an effort to provide funding to cover the hiring of six new city firefighters with the hope of improving services in the city, including the full staffing of the County Road Fire Station.
Smoljanovich said her staff has been keeping track of those businesses not remitting the increased fee, and reaching out by both mail and telephone.
"They weren’t aware it went up," she said, relaying some of the responses received by several businesses.
An increase in some prices also has had an effect on the budget, something not isolated to Weirton, according to City Manager Mike Adams.
"Everybody’s facing the same thing," Adams said, noting prices are going up on many of the city’s regular purchases, while revenues have been down.
While no date has officially been set, officials are hoping to plan the work session for early December, possibly a Saturday.
Harris recalled his previous tenure as mayor, when it was common for council to meet for marathon work sessions to craft the city’s budget, spending multiple days meeting for up to eight hours each, adding a similar approach may be needed here.
(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com)