Shortly after his inauguration ceremony last month, Huntington Mayor Patrick Farrell said his priorities would be reflected in the budget he would propose for fiscal year 2026, which begins July 1, 2025. Monday evening, Farrell presented his proposed budget to the city council. It indeed reflected the priorities he had previously outlined, particularly public safety and infrastructure.
One-time funding from federal programs such as the CARES Act and ARPA is gone, so Farrell is holding the line at estimating revenues from this yearÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s budget with no enhancements from tax or fee increases. The public probably isnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t in much mood for such increases anyway, considering whatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s coming to finance the storm and sanitary sewer system overhaul.
As he did in his inaugural address, Farrell is using his budget proposal to emphasize his three priorities: public safety, infrastructure and growing the city economy. The three are connected, of course. How do you grow an economy in a city where safety and infrastructure are neglected?
Full funding to the police and fire departments would be restored. The process of building a second ingress-egress route for the flood-prone Enslow Park neighborhood would begin. The condition of streets is always a concern, and pothole season has begun. Farrell says he will continue the data-driven street paving program begun under the previous administraton.
Huntington, like most other cities of any size in Appalachia, has a number of vacant and dilapidated buildings. They become safety hazards in many ways. Farrell proposes more money to demolish those buildings.
Sometimes itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s as important to look for whatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s not in a budget as it is to see whatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s in one. In this case, there are no grand plans for a large new public building or similar project other than what is already underway, such as continued work on the conversion of the former ACF factory into an educational center known as the Foundry.
Farrell wants to ensure city government provides ordinary services in an extraordinary way. ThatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s what most voters want, and the new mayor has set his sights on delivering just that.
Now the council begins its deliberations on the mayorÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s proposal. Budget hearings begin March 1.
Farrell offers no bold new innovative game-changing vision to transform Huntington into something it is not. Instead, he sees a city that has basic needs that remain unmet. HeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s taking a conservative approach to fixing the problems the city has now so it can hold on to its position as the dominant community in the Tri-State. ThatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s as it should be. Huntington is the heart of the broader Tri-State region, and its continued vitality as a place to live, work and play supports smaller communities miles away.
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