Plain City
Local news, council decisions, projects and city spending, with links to the agendas, minutes and reporting behind each story.
Meetings and decisions, item by item →
Follow the money and what happened next
Trace the decisions and financial records linked to Plain City's projects. A budget, bond ceiling, contract authorization and actual payment describe different things.
Open questions in our reporting
- Plain City's fiscal 2025 audit flags street spending over budget
Whether the city changed its year-end amendment procedures, and whether any department exceeded its budget in fiscal 2026. The fiscal 2026 audit was not available.
- Plain City weighs a storm drain fee increase as the fund's fees trail its operating costs
Whether the council approved an increase on Oct. 15, and the old and new monthly fees. Minutes of that meeting were not posted as of Oct. 16.
- State Auditor found Plain City event payments went through personal payment apps
Whether the cash box, twice-weekly deposit reconciliation and concession register the city described in March 2025 have been used at events since. The records reviewed do not show this.
Plain City: event payments, storm drain fee and street spending →
Plain City's fiscal 2025 audit flags street spending over budget
Plain City's auditor reported one state compliance finding for fiscal 2025: year-end engineering charges moved to road projects put Public Works $121,634 over budget. The general fund finished $270,325 under.
Plain City weighs a storm drain fee increase as the fund's fees trail its operating costs
Plain City's council scheduled an Oct. 15 hearing on raising its monthly storm water fee, citing an audit report. The fund's user fees have not covered its operating expenses in the last two audited years, and its fiscal 2027 budget document draws on fund balance.
State Auditor found Plain City event payments went through personal payment apps
A 2025 State Auditor review confirmed that some Plain City event and concession payments were collected through employees' or volunteers' personal payment-app accounts, with no receipt records. The auditor agreed the risk of significant loss was low. The city said it moved to a city-controlled account.
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