Wadsworth City Council Special Meeting - August 11, 2026

The Wadsworth City Council held a special meeting on August 11, 2026, focused primarily on the 2027 tax budget proposal and city employee health insurance. The council reviewed the tax budget, which is a statutory financial planning tool rather than an appropriations budget, highlighting a conservative 5% reduction in income tax revenue estimates for 2026 and a projected deficit of $2.2 million for 2027. Discussions included the impact of levy adjustments for fire and EMS services and the importance of maintaining solid liquidity across funds. On health insurance, the council discussed entering into a contract for open enrollment and considered potential employee premium increases, with concerns raised about retention and recruitment impacts. The possibility of introducing or fully funding Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) was debated, alongside benchmarking against other municipalities and the need for annual premium adjustments to avoid large future increases. A resolution adopting the tax budget was passed unanimously on first reading.