Greenwood’s mayor is proposing a nearly $69.2 million city budget for next year.
City officials introduced the next year’s proposed budget to city council members and the public on Monday. The majority of 2025’s nearly $69.2 million budget — about $67.9 million — is the city’s operating budget, with the remainder being for capital projects. Cash on hand will be utilized in some funds to pay for capital improvements within the capital budget.
To prepare next year’s budget, Mayor Mark Myers, city controller Greg Wright and the city’s financial staff worked with department heads to determine what the departments needed, what budget items needed to be adjusted for inflation and what raises could be given to city employees and elected officials.
Greenwood’s 2024 budget includes a 4% cost-of-living increase for all employees, new positions, two new fire engines, two new dump trucks with plows, three pickup trucks with plows, a mini-excavator, additional bullet-proofing at police department’s gun range and a new drone.
For 2024, the city is expecting roughly $65.2 million in revenue. The budget is also expected to be “structurally balanced” while inflation continues to be a factor, officials said.
As for taxes, Wright says the plan is for the city’s tax rate to be $0.6732 — which would not be an increase. Still, people may see their taxes go up due to changes in assessed value for properties — which is assessed by county officials, not the city.
The city does again plan to request a maximum property tax levy appeal to receive more in tax revenue because the city grew faster than the state over the last three years. Officials plan to raise about $1.3 million in the appeal to support the fire department by adding six new firefighters to staff a 24-hour medic squad at a second station.
“This is two firefighters that roll out in an SUV, rather than rolling an engine on some of the EMS and non-fire type calls,” Wright said. “So this is actually saving us a lot of money on fuel and wear and tear on those engines for calls that don’t require or need that engine to be present.”
Last year, the city’s levy appeal request was heavily discussed by council members, with it ultimately passing with an earmark for it to be used only for public safety. The appeals will have little or no impact on homeowners’ tax bills as the city tax rate will not change, officials previously said.
“We’re just trying to keep everything balanced and not raise taxes and be able to continue to grow the city through manpower and through equipment,” said Mayor Mark Myers.
Public safety
The largest chunk of the 2026 budget is dedicated to public safety. About $24.5 million, or 33.8%, of the proposed budget is allocated for public safety.
The fire department is continuing efforts to staff up ahead of the construction of a new fire station, Station 95, and for a new rescue squad. The new station, which would be located on the city’s southeast side near Worthsville Road and Interstate 65, is expected to open in 2026.
For the new station, a total of 12 additional firefighters are being hired this year through the levy appeal approved last year. This is separate from a request in this year’s budget to hire six more probationary firefighters for the rescue squad, Wright said.
The hiring of the six new probation firefighters is dependent upon the receipt of a SAFER Grant, which provides 75% reimbursement, and/or the levy appeal, Wright said.
Within the capital improvement budget, two new fire engines would be purchased with delivery in 2025. The city had planned to purchase engines from one vendor, but they wouldn’t have been delivered until 2027, so they switched, Wright said.
For the police department, two new probationary officers and one new civilian position are proposed. The civilian position would be for public relations and grant writing, Wright said.
The police department also received a 6.2% salary adjustment for full-time positions, while the fire department received a 4% increase. The PERF contribution increased to 20.3% of 1st Class Officer pay for the police department, and to 20.3% of 1st Class Firefighter pay for the fire department.
There was also a $1,000 increase for the four officers with a drone pilot specialty.
At the end of Monday’s budget presentation, city council member Erin Betron asked why the fire department’s salary adjustment stayed the same as other employees, excluding the police department. The determination came from city administration based on what funding they had available, Wright said.
He added that in 2019, fire department salaries were increased above the police department’s to accommodate medic pay no longer being a specialty pay type. It was added into the overall pay and the pension base, Wright said.
“Additionally, the fire department has built-in [overtime],” Wright said. “They get approximately $6,000 [in] built-in OT with the 24-hour schedule. That doesn’t occur with the PD so balance-wise, we felt that making the distinction between the two was fair.”
Other changes
The only other new position proposed in the 2025 budget is a recreation assistant for the parks department.
However, there are other position changes included in the budget. A Geographic Information System, or GIS, position will be converted to a Cityworks Administrator position — Cityworks is a platform Greenwood uses for its GIS work — and five information technology positions will be removed because the city outsourced its IT work to EXOS IT, who they had previously worked with for cybersecurity.
The city will pay $788,400, or about $65,700 a month, to EXOS IT for contracted services.
Some of the proceeds from the 2024 general obligation bond, or GO bond, will be used to fund paving projects, along with sidewalk panel replacements.
Several elected officials and other high-ranking appointed positions will see pay bumps as well, which are in line with the cost of living increase.
Myers’ pay is proposed to be $117,898, an about 3.9% increase. Deputy Mayor Terry McLaughin’s pay will increase 3.8% to a maximum of $112,493.94. Economic Development Director Brandon Clifton’s pay will increase to $106,007 over 2024’s $101,930, documents show.
City Clerk Jeannine Myers’ pay is proposed to be $80,066, a 3.8% increase. City Judge Drew Foster’s pay is proposed to increase 3.8%, to $99,810.
For the city council, eight council members’ pay is set to be $13,319.02 — a nearly 2% increase. For the council president, the pay will increase by 2% to $14,908.
The public can learn more about the budget through the city’s interactive budget website available here: shorturl.at/4UkOz.
CORRECTION: 11:05 a.m. Sept. 20, 2024
Because of an error, incorrect information about the fire department’s salary adjustment was included. It is actually a 4% increase.
Additionally, the 12 additional firefighters being hired for the new fire station are being hired this year through the levy appeal approved last year. This is separate from a request in this year’s budget to hire six more probationary firefighters for the rescue squad.
