# City Council Special Meeting 10/5/26 | City of Reading, PA

Reading City Council’s October 5, 2026 special meeting introduced five ordinances for the 2027 budget: the property tax rate, position ordinance, general fund budget, capital budget, and rates for trash, recycling, and Clean City services. The property tax ordinance would retain the rate at 19.217 mills. The mayor presented a draft operating budget of approximately $129.25 million and a $12.43 million capital improvement plan, saying the city did not plan to raise property taxes. The ordinances must lie over for at least two weeks; no contract awards or procurement votes were reported.

The mayor highlighted proposed spending of $49.7 million for police and $30.6 million for Fire and EMS, including patrol cruisers, ambulances, fire apparatus, and communications and monitoring equipment. Capital priorities include more than $4.2 million for railway resurfacing and paving, park improvements and splash pads, building and HVAC work, and replacement of city servers and cybersecurity improvements. Public comment urged the city to consider parking-related street design, permits, and neighborhood parking studies in the budget. A former city auditor also announced plans to apply for the vacant auditor position and requested a copy of the draft budget.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure, Public Safety
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure, Digital Infrastructure
**Published:** October 05, 2026

### Sources
- [City Council Special Meeting 10/5/26 | City of Reading, PA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5UPD9LHCBo) - Berks Community Television