City council approves 2025-26 budget, discusses other ordinances
Councilors unanimously approved a $40 million budget Thursday including pay increases for department heads. The budget now goes to the state auditor for review.
WHEELING – At their meeting Thursday, March 20, the Wheeling City Council unanimously approved a $40,263,328 budget for fiscal year 2025-26–a $1.4 million increase from the previous year. Included in the budget are pay increases for leaders in the city.
The majority of the budget–51 percent–is allocated to the city’s police and fire departments.
The police department will receive $10.6 million, a 12.5 percent increase. The fire department, meanwhile, will see their budget cut by 7.8 percent to $9.5 million. Their budgets include pay raises for Chief of Police Shawn Schwertfeger–from $91,600 to $94,348–and Chief of Fire Jim Blazier–from $91,600 to $99,900.
The city’s administration will see their salaries rise, too.
The city manager will see his salary increase to $143,000, seven percent higher than 2024. The assistant city manager will see a six percent increase to $104,000. City Solicitor Rosemary Humway-Warmuth was awarded an eight percent pay raise to $102,588. And City Clerk Jessica Zalenski saw the higher percent increase in pay–10.5 percent–to $63,000.
The pay raises come as City Manager Robert Herron says the city will use $500,000 of its budget stabilization fund to support its FY 2025-26 budget, and warned members of council that the city is facing a tightened budget as federal pandemic stimulus dries up.
“Please note that there are no proposed tax or fee increases proposed in the budget,” a letter from Herron accompanying the proposed budget reads. “However, revenues are extremely tight and expenses continue to increase…Council should also over the next fiscal year be aware of the revenue situation for consideration of potential adjustments.”
Councilors speak on homelessness…
Councilor Ben Seidler used a portion of his speaking time to address homelessness and the city’s exempted camp–topics Seidler has been vocal about for several months.
At a previous council meeting, Seidler called on service providers to “step up” and do more at the city’s exempted camp for homeless residents. Thursday, he led with a more conciliatory tone, offering praise to local nonprofit Street MOMs and volunteers who helped clear the camp of its trash.
“We want to continue to put resources [at the camp] that are productive and worthwhile,” Seidler said. “The folks down there deserve more.”
Councilor Connie Cain expressed concern over a proposed statewide ban on camping currently moving through the legislature, adding that it may cause an influx of homeless people to move to Wheeling.
“What we don’t want is to give [the homeless] bus tickets to big cities [like Wheeling],” Cain said.
New Finance Director selected…
Wheeling will have a finance director after the council-appointed position sat vacant for nearly two years. Nathan Greene, a Wheeling native with accounting and business administration experience, was nominated by Mayor Denny Magruder and approved by the council.
In a press release from the city, Greene said he appreciated the opportunity to serve the city. “I look forward to working with City leadership, staff and the members of the community to make a lasting, positive impact on my hometown,” Greene said.
The position oversees the finances of the city and advises the council and city manager. His responsibilities include supervising the disbursement of all monies and expenditures, maintaining a general accounting system for the city and submitting monthly and annual financial reports, among others.
The finance director, as well as the city clerk and city manager, are the three city positions nominated by the mayor and approved by the council and who serve at their pleasure.
Councilors offer their remarks…
Several councilors offered remarks Thursday on a variety of issues.
Seidler spoke of a story posted by The Intelligencer in which he was quoted having concerns regarding the Centre Market’s finances and the need for a full-time market manager. In response, Seidler clarified his comments saying, “I feel like we need to continue to look at the rest of the areas in the city…that need that same level of dedicated community development.”
Vice Mayor Jerry Sklavounakis spoke of the city’s participation at a recent West Virginia Municipal League conference in Charleston. The group offers municipalities across the state the chance to meet and collaborate. Sklavounakis said one of the biggest issues facing Wheeling, and most state municipalities, is population loss and retention.
Councilor Dave Palmer encouraged residents to submit their comments to the West Virginia Department of Transportation regarding a project to replace the Shilling Bridge in Elm Grove. The estimated $1.5 million project will see the bridge closed for 18 months beginning in the spring of 2026. The public comment period is open until April 18, 2025.
A slew of cleanups will take place in various neighborhoods in the coming months, including:
East Wheeling, April 11
Fulton, May 3
North Wheeling, May 10
Wheeling Island, May 17
Ordinance passed; ordinances proposed…
A handful of ordinances and resolutions were approved Thursday, including:
$39,200 to Cincinnati Insurance Companies of Cincinnati for insurance at the Intermodal Parking Garage;
$66,000 of city opioid settlement funds to Northwood Health Systems for the organization to hire a peer recovery support specialist to joining the Assertive Community Treatment team;
A resolution approving the city’s $40 million FY25-26 budget; and,
A resolution approving the city’s coal severance budget.
Councilors heard several original propositions Thursday, including an amendment to Article 507 of the city’s code. If adopted, the amendment would add to the city’s Dogs and Cats ordinance section 507.14, Feeding of Feral, Stray and/ or Undomesticated Cats/ Felines.
“Intentionally providing food or sustenance for feral or stray cats is prohibited,” the proposed amendment reads. “It shall be unlawful for any person to place any type of food upon any property for the purpose of feeding stray and/or undomesticated felines.”
The penalty for violating Article 507 of the city code includes a fine of no less than $300 on a first offense, a fine of no less than $500 on a second offense and a fine of no less than $1,000 on a third and subsequent violation.
Howard Gamble, the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department Administrator, spoke at the end of the meeting encouraging the ordinance's adoption. Gamble cited an issue with people feeding cats on the Island, allegedly increasing the area’s rodent population.
Before adoption, the city will hold a public hearing on the matter at their April 1 meeting.
Another public hearing will be held that same day regarding an amendment to Article 363, clarifying parking limits and overtime parking violations. The amendment states that people may not move their car within the same parking zone to extend their parking.
The Wheeling City Council will meet again Tuesday, April 1 at 5:30 p.m.
Did anyone speak up for the cats?