Nov. 20 Ward 6 meeting
Covered by Documenters Bishop Cameron Nelson and Wittman Sullivan (see her notes here)
Just like any person or business, cities have budgets. The City of Akron has two: an operating budget and a capital budget. Each is determined annually.
In November, city officials held two “Capital Budget 101” events and attended several ward meetings to explain the city’s capital budget process. And on Monday, Jan. 5, Akron Mayor Shamma Malik’s administrative staff is expected to begin presenting its captial budget proposal to City Council.
What’s the difference between the operating budget and the capital budget?
The operating budget encompasses day-to-day spending on city services and general expenses such as utilities and workers’ salaries. It includes the appropriations (the requests for the amount of money that will be spent) for capital budget expenditures.
The Capital Investment and Community Development Budget — commonly referred to as the capital budget — funds the city’s physical infrastructure and long-term, multi-year investments, development projects and major purchases.
How are the Akron operating and capital budgets decided each year?
Each budget has slightly different processes and timelines, but both operating and capital budgets are drafted by the mayor’s administration and approved by Akron City Council.
For the operating budget, the city releases budget packets to each of its departments and divisions. An interim temporary budget is passed by City Council by the end of November each year to fund the first few months of the following year, before the new operating budget is approved.
The mayor’s administration presents an operating budget to council during a series of public meetings before it’s approved. The operating budget can be amended through the year by passing ordinances.
For the capital budget, the city releases Capital Investment Program (CIP) request forms. Once ready, the long-range planning division drafts the budget and presents it to the Akron City Planning Commission. A draft budget is then released to members of City Council and later presented during a number of public meetings. Council must then pass a final capital budget.
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What are the deadlines for the operating budget?
End of November: A temporary operating budget for the first few months of the following year is drafted and must be passed by council. This temporary budget is used until the new operating budget is approved.
February and March: A draft operating budget is presented to council during a series of meetings.
March 31: Deadline for council to approve the operating budget.
What are the deadlines for the capital budget?
December: The city’s long-range planning division submits a draft of the capital budget to the Akron City Planning Commission.
Dec. 31: The planning department submits a draft of the capital budget to council.
January: The draft is presented to City Council during a series of meetings.
Feb. 15: Deadline for council to approve the capital budget.
Where does the money for the operating and capital budgets come from?
The operating budget’s funding comes from a variety of federal, state and local sources, including taxes, special assessments, federal and state revenues, grants, revenues from services such as water, sewer and trash, and other fees and charges.
Similarly, the capital budget receives funding from the three levels of government. Federal and state sources include loans or grants from various departments and agencies such as the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Ohio Department of Transportation.
Similar to the operating budget, some of the capital budget’s funding comes from the local level and includes income tax, special assessments and debt.
What are some big and small line items in the operating budget?
Akron’s 2025 operating budget was $798,629,223. The operating budget must include the line item spending for the current year as well as the previous three years.
The operating budget is organized by account types or by departments.
Of the 11 account types, the largest amount of spending fell under the labor ($173,099,934), contracts ($153,043,511) and debt service ($125,252,254) accounts.
The departments with the largest amounts of funding in 2025 were public service ($338,970,194), finance ($108,253,760) and fire ($92,639,370).
Under public service, smaller line items included plans and permits ($896,843), parks maintenance ($5,251,557), highway maintenance ($17,654,587) and sanitation ($13,730,721).
The fire department only has three line items: fire ($54,735,720), EMS ($28,962,985) and non-operating funds for the capital budget ($8,940,665).
What are some big and small line items in the capital budget?
Akron’s 2025 capital budget was $380,898,499.
The capital budget is broken down into buckets of spending:
- Economic development
- Housing and community services
- Miscellaneous
- Parks and recreation
- Public facilities
- Transportation
- Water and sewer
The buckets with the largest amounts of funding in 2025 were water and sewer ($227,925,270), miscellaneous ($52,389,932) and transportation ($49,551,680).
Within each funding bucket, funds are broken down into smaller projects and programs. A large portion of funding from the water and sewer bucket is for the city’s massive sewer rebuilding project related to the 2009 consent decree ($141,064,000), which has one stage left to complete..
Smaller line items include projects such as new housing construction ($220,000) and community gardens ($80,000) under the housing and community services bucket.
How can Akron residents get involved in the budget process?
Residents can attend public meetings — typically held in January to discuss the capital budget and in February or March for the operating budget — in person or online.
Other ways to get involved include speaking during the public comment period at a City Council meeting. Residents can also attend a ward meeting or contact their City Council member.