DAYTON — Dayton City Commissioners passed a budget for 2023 during an emergency Dayton City Commission meeting Saturday. It took them at least three hours to come to that decision.
>>Special Commission Meeting to discuss City of Dayton’s 2023 budget today
News Center 7′s Brandon Lewis says Dayton City Commissioners not only debated the budget but the public chimed in as well.
Unions members expressed concerned about their jobs come January and people also expressed support for Commissioners Shenise Turner-Sloss and Darryl Fairchild. The meeting ended with a unanimous vote approving the budget and avoiding a shut down.
Dozens packed the City Commission chambers Saturday afternoon for this special meeting.
“We elected them to fight for our priorities, which are not represented in this budget,” said Marshall Weil of Dayton.
“Do not hold the citizens, nor the employees hostage in your guys’ warfare,” Marcia Knox of Dayton told the City Commission.
“We implore you to pass the budget resolution today,” said Jenny Michael. “Not tomorrow, but today.”
>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: City commissioners release statement after abstaining from budget vote
Lewis says the meeting came just days after the Commission got only three votes in favor of approving the 2023 provisional budget. Since this was an emergency ordinance, the City Commission needed four votes for it to go into effect immediately. The three votes meant it would go into effect in 30 days, that would have resulted in the city being shut down for over a week in January.
Commissioners Fairchild and Turner-Sloss were the two not in support of the budget Friday, the two held a news conference Friday to explain their concerns and mentioned them again during Saturday’s meeting.
“$10 million for our golf courses, our rec centers, our preschool promise and then you put young people up there for $10.1 million,” he said slamming the pencil down.
Fairchild wanted to see more money put toward helping youth in the city.
Commissioner Turner-Sloss is pushing for more investments in the city’s human relations council and improving first responder resources to residents who live in the Edgemont and Carillon neighborhoods. She also wants to the city to hold several public hearings to allow the public to talk about future budgets.
“Where the community can have their sake in their peace in the conversation in terms of the budget that we’re developing,” said Turner-Sloss.
>>RELATED: Police, fire service in question as Dayton City Commission fails to pass 2023 budget
Lewis reports the Dayton City Commission ultimately agreed to have more hearings and committed $1 million more to the already $10.1 million for youth development in the city before finally agreeing to approve this budget at the end of the more than three-hour long meeting.
“This is one of the most important decisions we make because we’re allocating the resources of the city,” said Fairchild. “The citizens should have a say in that and I’m glad they’re engaged.”
Dayton City Mayor Jeffrey Mims, Jr. said now that this temporary budget has been approved, the final one will be approved in February.
>>Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce issues statement on City of Dayton’s budget
The Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce thanked the City Commissions for passing the budget, “with a 5-0 vote,” Saturday.
“The Dayton Chamber of Commerce and our members thank the City Commissioners for ensuring the continuity of critical government critical services,” the organization said in a statement on social media.
We will continue to provide updates on the budget.
UPDATE | @cityofdayton budget passed with a 5-0 vote. The @DaytonChamber and our members thank the City Commissioners for ensuring the continuity of critical government services.
— DaytonChamber (@DaytonChamber) December 10, 2022
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