Photo by Eric Ayres Members of Wheeling City Council met in a special session on Tuesday night to approve an ordinance for the municipal council levy estimate, providing annual appropriation for the next fiscal year's budget. From left are Councilwoman Connie Cain, City Manager Robert Herron, Mayor Denny Magruder and Vice Mayor Jerry Sklavounakis.

WHEELING – Members of Wheeling City Council gathered for a brief special meeting on Tuesday night to approve an ordinance for the municipal levy estimate for fiscal year 2026-27.

The routine procedure provides an estimate for the municipal levy appropriation in line with the next fiscal year’s budget. According to the ordinance, total projected property tax collection for regular municipal purposes is around $4.9 million.

Officials noted that this is simply a renewal of the same municipal levy rate.

City Manager Robert Herron explained that the state auditor’s office has a schedule established in which municipalities throughout the state must submit their annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on July 1. Municipal budgets must be submitted to the state by the end of March, per state code.

“Once the budget is submitted, the state auditor’s office reviews it,” Herron said. “Included in the budget there is a breakdown of property taxes and how those are distributed in the general fund.”

In Wheeling, this includes the money for the general fund, a park levy and the OVRTA (Ohio Valley Regional Transit Authority) levy, which is an excess levy, or an additional, voter-approved levy not included in this particular ordinance.

“We’re permitted to levy 12.5 percent, so this ordinance allows that levy to be administered based on the budget that was submitted in March,” Herron said. “It is a requirement that it be done I believe by April 30.”

Herron indicated that the ordinance for the municipal levy estimate had been slated for a second reading and final approval at the next regular council meeting on May 5, but the state auditor’s office did not wish to wait until the first week of May to receive this required action. So a special meeting was scheduled to meet the state auditor’s deadline.

The ordinance was approved unanimously by council members on hand. Councilman Ty Thorngate was not in attendance at the special meeting Tuesday night.