The Adrian City Commission has adopted a balanced budget for FY2026-27 that eliminates several positions and reduces costs across the board.
City Administrator Chad Baugh said the budget eliminates coordinator roles for planning and marketing and the vacant director positions for Parks and Recreation and the Downtown Development Authority.
Several commissioners expressed concern over the elimination of key positions.
“It’s concerning that, through approval of this budget, we’re eliminating the director of parks position and heading down that shaky road again of taking a full-time job and assigning it to someone who already has a full-time job,” said Commissioner Robert Behnke.
“At some point, we begin to lose that level of customer service, especially as we hear a myriad of complaints about interactions with the public and concerns about park safety and programming.”
The position has been vacant since late 2025, after former director Jeremiah Davies accepted a new role as Hudson City Manager. The commission appointed an interim director Dec. 1, while staff reviewed the long-term structure of the department.
The director position for the DDA was vacated after Jay Marks was terminated in February. Baugh previously said changes made in August 2025 to how the body’s budget was prepared under Marks prompted closer examination of revenue assumptions, the available fund balance and ongoing obligations.
The new budget governs city operations from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The adopted budget includes $1,945,226 in general fund spending for core services like public safety, parks and recreation, insurance and administration.
A separate enterprise fund totals $2,518,724 for self‑supporting operations funded primarily through user fees — including water, sewer, electric, refuse, ambulance services and revolving funds.
Officials described the budget as a conservative approach that prioritizes maintaining existing services rather than expanding staffing or programs. The plan aims to manage rising costs — including labor, insurance and materials — while avoiding structural deficits and reliance on one‑time revenues.
No comments were made during a public hearing before the vote.
— Contact reporter Corey Murray at cmurray@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @cmurrayhdn.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Adrian votes to eliminate director positions for Parks and Rec, DDA
Reporting by Corey J. Murray, The Daily Telegram / The Daily Telegram
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