Youngstown City Council says their work is cut out to maintain control of their finances in 2021.

"It's (2020) going to end really well for us," says Fifth Ward Councilwoman Lauren McNally, who also chairs the finance committee. And in a year so full of bad news, 2020 is giving the city of Youngstown a financial reprieve - at least for now. That's despite income tax revenue falling nearly $3 million short of expectations.

"We got three rebates back on our workers' comp that were pretty significant to the tune of almost $2.7 million...and then we got the $2.9 million in COVID money" (from the CARES Act), McNally said. 

There's also nearly $300,000 in savings from temporary voluntary layoffs.
But much of this year's savings are coming from one-time items.
That's why McNally says the city wisely won't be spending all of it.

"We're going to be starting $2.6 million shorter plus an additional $700,000 shorter in collections next year," she said, adding that a lot will depend on how businesses start to recover once a COVID vaccine is distributed.

The city's coffers could suffer another gut punch from Columbus if House Bill 157 passes.

"That House Bill is now saying because you all work from home and not from your city of Youngstown offices, even though your business is still there, you work from Canfield, so now you get to pay your taxes to Canfield," said McNally.

A preliminary budget for 2021 is expected to be presented at city council's next meeting.  They'll then have to call a special meeting before the end of the year to do their reconciliation budget.