City Council Committee of the Whole Budget Review Meeting 10/14/26 | City of Reading, PA

The City of Reading City Council Committee of the Whole held its first review of the proposed 2027 budget on October 14, 2026. The finance director reviewed budgets for the Mayor’s Office, City Council and Clerk, Managing Director, Downtown, Human Relations Commission, debt service, and pensions. Notable proposed amounts included $75,000 for Mayor’s Office consulting services, down from $100,000; $97,500 for Council legal services; $20,000 for codification of ordinances; and $73,000 for downtown events, reduced from $100,000. Downtown contracted services, including landscaping and related work, were reduced from $60,000 to $48,000. The Mayor’s Office budget included $9,500 for contracted services, including State of the City support and youth-violence website services historically provided by DeBryan Marketing. Council members requested clearer breakdowns of travel, lodging, reimbursements, and budget changes; staff agreed to provide additional detail. No spending or contract-award vote was taken.