A New Year For Findlay City Council?
BY PATTY KLEIN
FINDLAY - A new Findlay City Council was seated on January 6 in Findlay City Council Chambers. While several new members took their seats, familiar divisions quickly emerged through early votes, comments, and committee appointments.
Many residents had hoped the new council would be less contentious. However disagreements and emerging alliances were evident from the outset. The first item of legislation was the proposed 2026 city budget, which drew significant attention. Social media buzzed with calls for a balanced budget.
Mayor Muryn lectured council members about how city budgets were different from personal or business budgets. She explained that the administration’s proposed budget includes additional “wiggle room” to address potential emergencies. She emphasized the need for departments to have funds readily available in urgent situations. Others have countered that emergency needs could be addressed through the standard council appropriation process as they arise.
Budget discussion opened with Council-at-Large Member Heather Kensinger, who expressed concerns about the budgeting process but ultimately supported the mayor’s proposal.
“For me, I’m struggling a little bit with how we do this budget,” Kensinger said. “The process makes it very difficult to move forward responsibly as a city. From my own experience, I would find it extremely difficult to prepare a business budget without knowing what revenue we would have before finalizing it.”
Ward 7 Councilman Danny DeLong and Ward 6 Councilman Rodney Phillips both spoke in opposition to the budget. DeLong attempted to amend the ordinance by reducing line items within the Human Resources budget. Phillips supported the amendment, but the motion failed on an 8–2 vote.
New Council Member Kevin Cullen also weighed in, stating that he did not view the proposal as a deficit budget. He noted that unspent funds could be returned at the end of the year, potentially leaving the city in a positive financial position. Ultimately the budget was passed 8-2.
Despite a few procedural stumbles related to the council’s new composition, the meeting moved forward smoothly under the guidance of newly elected City Council President David Murphy. The remainder of the agenda consisted largely of routine items requiring council approval to continue regular payments and ongoing projects.
Returning Councilman Dan DeArment initiated the organizational process by nominating Ward 1 Councilwoman Nichole Coleman as President Pro Tempore. The nomination passed unanimously. Coleman subsequently established a Committee to Appoint Committees, marking a departure from previous committee selection practices. The newly appointed committee had reportedly already scheduled a meeting for January 9.
DeArment also moved to establish an new ad hoc committee to review City Council rules. A similar committee was formed in 2024, drew criticism from community members after DeArment proposed multiple restrictions on residents’ oral communication during meetings. He indicated dissatisfaction with the outcome of the prior ad hoc process.
City Council meetings as well as committee meetings can be viewed on the Findlay Ohio Youtube Channel.
