Plymouth City Council reviews $14.4 million proposed 2027 General Fund Budget

Members of the Plymouth City Council held a public hearing last week on the 2027 Proposed Budget, a $14,443,030 General Fund spending plan that touches nearly every corner of city operations — from police cruisers and firefighter gear to flowers and a historic theatre's debt reduction.

City Clerk-Treasurer Lynn Gorski walked the council through each department's budget, highlighting the big-ticket items that will shape city services in the coming year.

As in most communities, public safety accounts for the largest share of the budget. The Plymouth Police Department's 2027 budget is $4,828,470, which includes $130,000 for wages and benefits for a potential new officer, four police cars at $85,000 each, eight radios, and five body cameras.

The Plymouth Fire Department's budget stands at $3,948,490. The plan includes moving the Assistant Fire Chief to a daytime schedule and $162,000 in equipment — ranging from radios, pagers, and air packs to workout equipment, turnout gear, and a response vehicle.

The Engineering Department's $427,800 budget includes $115,300 for special engineering services tied to streetscape projects on Oak Drive and Jefferson Street-Lincolnway East, along with $30,000 for server and computer upgrades.

City Properties, budgeted at $843,100, includes $18,100 for median flowers on North Michigan Street, $3,500 for flower rehabilitation at North Center and West LaPorte Street, and $300,000 to pave the Water Street parking lot.

The Mayor's and Council budget of $389,625 includes a $100,000 debt reduction for the REES Theatre and $50,000 for NIPRA (Northern Indiana Public Radio Alliance) through the city's promotion fund.

The Financial Board budget of $1,693,425 covers the MCEDC (Marshall County Economic Development Corporation) contract, ONE Marshall County, the Heartland Art Center local match, liability insurance, and election expenses.

• Sanitation Department: $841,470, reflecting a $39,000 increase from this year for club sheets
• Building Commissioner: $373,725, with a $2,000 printer shared with the mayor and law department
• Law Department: $278,485, with the same $2,000 printer split
• City Power and Light: $305,000, with no big-ticket items
• Garage and Warehouse: $483,600
• Animal Welfare (Marshall County Humane Society): $30,000

With no suggestions for reductions at the hearing, the proposed 2027 budget is expected to pass at the City Council's next meeting on Monday, September 28. Once approved locally, the budget heads to the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF), which will review it to ensure the city is operating within its revenues. The DLGF will either approve the budget as submitted or make cuts it deems necessary.