HUNTINGTON Ƶ Mayor Patrick Farrell completed a read-through of his first proposed budget in front of Huntington City Council members Saturday.
During a three-hour-long public hearing, Farrell went through each tab of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget Ƶ giving council members the chance to ask questions and better understand the document. Unlike previous budget hearings, the cityƵs department heads were not present during the meeting to answer questions regarding the specifics of each department. Farrell said the change was because it is the mayorƵs budget and responsibility and reflects his goals for the city.
Farrell said the budget may change throughout the fiscal year. Currently, the proposed budget focuses on his top priorities for the city, including public safety, infrastructure and growing the economy.
The proposed $78 million budget Ƶ which is flat and aligns with the current Fiscal Year 2025 budget Ƶ will prioritize essentials and reel in expenses, Farrell said. During his budget presentation earlier this month, Farrell said the city will tighten its budget on expenses as funding from federal grants, such as Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) or American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, decreases.
In response to a council memberƵs inquiry about increased revenue for inspections, Farrell said the city will see an increase because of a planned focus on collecting fees related to code enforcement using current employees.
For federal grants in revenue, Farrell said the city currently anticipates $500,000 less than what it previously received.
In the city attorneyƵs office, former city attorney Scott Damron has moved from being a full time city employee to a contracted worker. Damron is currently the acting city attorney after retiring in 2024 and is paid in the professional services line instead of as a full-time employee.
In the legal department, an extra assistant city attorney has been budgeted. Farrell said he anticipates needing more legal services as the city continues to pursue property owners who arenƵt following city codes. He also said the city anticipates more legal work to collect unpaid funds such as taxes in an amount approaching $15 million, which he said is why he added a second assistant attorney.
ƵWe anticipate that some property owners will sue us and so we need more reserves to make sure we defend our rights and pursue that money that we are owed,Ƶ Farrell said.
Farrell said the total legal services budget went up by $141,000.
Councilwoman Sarah Walling, who is an attorney, said she did not understand the increase in outside professional services when the city is adding another assistant city attorney. She said it doesnƵt Ƶsit wellƵ with her to say that the city is anticipating an increase in outside litigation expenses when it will have legal secretaries and an in-house team of six people.
Farrell said the estimated increase in outside counsel fees is because the city may need specialty expertise as it pertains to municipal law. A third assistant city attorney could focus solely on collecting outstanding fees, which would be a full-time job, he added.
The proposed budget gives full funding to police and fire Ƶ $16,160,225 for the police department and $14,465,935 for the fire department. The proposed Huntington Police Department budget is essentially flat, Farrell said; however, it includes an extra $250,000 for jail bills.
Farrell said he learned over the past year that the jail bill has been a significant concern for many. He said the extra money will assure officers they can do their job without worrying about a looming jail bill.
ƵPadding the jail bill just so that it wonƵt give people an excuse for not arresting people is ... a hard pill to swallow when weƵre going to have to tell nonprofits and essential services in our community that we donƵt have the funding for you because we have a hypothetical increase jail bill cost,Ƶ Walling said.
Farrell said the additional money for the jail bill, if not used, will not go toward police vehicles or other discretionary spending.
The proposed budget shows a $1 million reduction in contributions Ƶ money the city gives to outside groups Ƶ which Farrell said is due to the loss of one-time federal grant monies that the city no longer has to offer.
Farrell said when it comes to contributions, his first priorities are the groups the city is contractually obligated to, such as the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District and the Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Control Shelter, which the city has been supporting together with the Cabell and Wayne county commissions since 1979. The proposed budget for the park board will reflect the services it provides in maintaining Harris Riverfront Park.
The animal control shelter would see a $200,000 decrease in contributions, which were $400,000 in FY25. The shelter has been struggling with capacity issues the past several years.
The proposed budget aligns with historical funding levels with the exception of last year, Farrell said. An existing agreement states the city will match Cabell CountyƵs contribution. Farrell said the city has previously overpaid its share of contributions to the shelter, and the proposed amount for FY26 will make all three entitiesƵ contributions even.
The budget also proposes a $766,000 decrease in contributions for economic development and eliminates city council microgrants.
Farrell said he has revised the cityƵs contribution request form and said everyone is welcome to fill it out and ask for help, and he will look through all the requests himself.
Farrell said instead of spending money on contributions to outside agencies, the cityƵs goal is to put it toward its future.
ƵI do not believe that we are in the best financial position that we can be Ƶ weƵre not even in a good one. I believe that we need to build our financial resiliency,Ƶ Farrell said.
Walling said her concern is the resiliency of residents who may see negative effects of the decrease in contributions.
The budget will be published for two weeks for the public to look through. A public hearing will then be set up before the budget is placed on the council agenda for vote and submitted to the state.
