MUNCIE, Ind. — Politics and personalities prevailed when Muncie City Council approved a $29 million general fund for 2026. Council approved the budget 6-3, with Council President Harold Mason, William McIntosh and Nora Powell voting against it. Only one council Democrat, Sara Gullion, supported the spending along with Republican council members Dale Basham, Jerry Dishman, Brandon Garrett, Jeff Green and Ro Selvey.

Amid the lack of livestreaming during the reconvened meeting, only those present witnessed the conflict between Republican Mayor Dan Ridenour and Powell over spending and revenue. The feed on YouTube initially had no audio and after a recess to fix it, there was no video. Ridenour gave examples of Powell, also the Finance Committee Chair, offering wrong estimates on budget matters while Powell fired back that the state property tax relief that the mayor insisted would cut revenue next year would not happen until 2027. The mayor continued that everybody should be on the same team working for people while the councilwoman pointed out that the city was using its savings to pay the bills.

Council did cut about $1.5 million from the $3 million Local Road and Street fund (LRS) that was duplicated in that budget. Council members also agreed not to take pay raises next year. Other cuts Powell wanted included cutting pay raises for city department heads. Gullion proposed eliminating pay for the Deputy Controller and Communications Director, however it failed to pass. Council eliminated those jobs last year, but Ridenour used Economic Development Income Tax funds (EDIT) to cover the spending. At the meeting local podcaster Kristopher Bilbrey called out Brandon Garrett, who went from being a Democrat to a Republican, for switching his vote from last year. Garrett believed both officials were doing their jobs.

More debate continued about Jeff Green wanting to eliminate the salary for a Human Rights investigator, which passed by a 5-4 vote along party lines. Overtime in the controller’s budget also was reduced in that motion. Powell called the action reckless since nobody from Human Rights recommended it, although Patty Goddard, Human Resources Director, indicated the commission did not want the job filled. Yvonne Thompson, the HRC’s Director, recently announced her retirement and the chairman of that commission Steven Knipp resigned, now effectively leaving no civil rights enforcement locally.

The bottom line to city government spending and revenue is that there is plenty of cash to operate, leaving the city in the black this year besides increases in income taxes next year that will cover pay raises and other spending. Council recently raised city ambulance rates to cover that emergency service. While property taxes are capped for homes, businesses and farms, land and building values will go up causing higher taxes like the higher cost of living now resulting from inflation and trade wars.

Council also approved a $10 million tax budget for Muncie Public Transportation Corp. and $11 million in spending for the Muncie Sanitary District. Public transportation also is subsidized by state and federal funds while the MSD raised sewage utility fees last year over the next four years. Public employees for transportation and sanitation will receive three percent raises while public safety and other city workers get four percent.