Warren Mayor Lori Stone presented her proposed budget April 13 at City Hall.
By: Brian Wells | Warren Weekly | Published April 17, 2026
WARREN — Warren Mayor Lori Stone has presented a $445.5 million proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year, outlining modest overall growth while warning that aging infrastructure and rising costs are putting increased pressure on the city’s finances.
The budget represented a $15 million increase, or about 3.4%, over the current budget, which Stone described as “careful, controlled growth” rather than expanded spending.
“This budget is more than numbers,” she said during the April 13 presentation. “It is a plan for progress.”
General fund growth remains limited
Warren’s general fund, which Stone said is the most flexible portion of the budget, is projected at about $164 million, which shows an increase of about 1.8% from the previous year.
Property taxes continue to make up the bulk of that revenue at roughly $101 million, or nearly two-thirds of the general fund, Stone said. Other sources include intergovernmental revenue, service charges and fines.
Administration officials also plan to use $13.7 million from the fund balance to help close gaps, a move Stone described as a short-term solution.
“We need to continue taking a hard look at expenditures to ensure that we are not living beyond our means,” she said.
Budget balancing requires cuts
According to Stone, different departments in the city initially requested about $109.8 million in general fund spending, which, she said, far exceeds available revenue.
“It’s not a surprise to receive $209.8 million in requests for department expenditures,” she said. “Warren has aging infrastructure that is in constant need of maintenance and replacement, and given unlimited resources, the city of Warren departments can think of many ways to invest in making Warren a better place to live, work, play and grow.”
To balance the budget, Stone said, the city needs to cut about $45 million from those requests. The proposed general fund expenditures total about $163 million, with 40% going to police; 22% going to fire; 19% going to general government; 13.1% to public services and about 5% going to the 37th District Court.
“After meeting with each department and painstakingly reviewing staffing, operating expenses, facilities, equipment and vehicles, I have made recommendations to City Council on cuts to make to the budget requests in order to produce a fiscally responsible balanced budget,” she said.
Additionally, Stone is proposing $5.79 million in additional police funding for vehicles, technology and equipment and $2.62 million in additional Fire Department funding for vehicles, equipment and facility upgrades.
Infrastructure drives major investments
A central theme of the proposal is the need to address aging infrastructure, particularly the city’s water and sewer systems, Stone said.
In 2027, the city plans to invest nearly $24 million in water and sewer infrastructure; about $12 million in local road repairs; and provide additional funding for major road projects and underground systems.
Stone added that there may be a lot of overlap between local roads and major road projects.
“We’re working smarter, not harder,” she said.
Many systems are nearing the end of their lifespan, Stone said.
“This is not a can that can be kicked down the road,” she said. “Delaying infrastructure fixes only makes them more expensive later.”
Water and sewer costs rising
According to Stone, the city’s largest enterprise fund — the water and sewer fund — is expected to generate about $73.2 million in revenue.
To support system upgrades, Stone is proposing a 9.38% rate increase. This will help to compensate for a rate increase of 5.8% from the Great Lakes Water Authority, which provides the city’s drinking water.
“I reluctantly made this request,” Stone said.
Next steps in the budget process
Before the budget can be approved, it will go before the City Council, which will hold budget workshops and a public hearing later this month.
Mindy Moore, City Council Secretary Mindy Moore said she was waiting to hear from the department heads before having any sort of reaction to the proposed budget.
“We’ll hear from the department heads, and then we’ll revise the budget to be how we want things to be, and then that will be the budget,” she said. “So I go in with an open mind and wait to listen to get all the details.”
Councilman Johnathan Lafferty said the mayor’s budget presentation didn’t show much of a vision for the city.
“When I was listening to her talking about the various budgets, she didn’t really execute a vision,” he said. “She said the word ‘vision,’ but she didn’t really execute one throughout. It was more of a recitation of figures and facts.”
During the presentation, Stone said the City Council is expected to adopt the final budget by May 12. By state law, the city’s budget for the coming fiscal year must be adopted by July 1.
The Warren City Council has budget hearings scheduled for April 19, April 20 and April 21.
Stone encouraged residents to stay engaged as the process continues.
“Strong communities are built together every day,” she said.