ADRIAN — Adrian city commissioners adopted the city’s 2025-26 operating budget on April 20, but not before expressing some misgivings about leaving four key positions unfilled in the fiscal year that begins June 1.

The four positions are parks and recreation director, Downtown Development Authority director, planning and zoning administrator, and communications and marketing coordinator.

All four positions are currently vacant, with their responsibilities being taken on by other city employees:

• Matt Tomaszewski, director of engineering services, is currently doubling as interim parks and recreation director.
• Kate Deneau, the DDA’s event coordinator, is serving as interim DDA director.
• Building official Dan Black took on some zoning-related tasks when the previous planning and zoning administrator left in July 2025, and in March the city commission approved contracting out some services to consulting firm McKenna, under the direction of community development director Lisa Hewitt-Cruz. Those services include detailed site plan reviews and consultation on zoning ordinance revisions.
• Executive and legal assistant Michelle Dewey has been doubling as communications and marketing coordinator for about 10 years.

Several commissioners expressed concerns about the impact of not hiring anyone for those positions in the coming fiscal year, with parks and recreation generating the most discussion.

“Where do we begin to lose that level of customer service?” commissioner Bob Behnke asked.

But he also noted that the alternatives — such as drawing down the city’s fund balance or making deep cuts elsewhere — aren’t good either. “There’s three options before this commission and none of them are ideal given the economic times, the budget that we have, and the expenses before us,” he said.

Mayor Angela Sword Heath expressed hope that, if some expenses come in lower than expected during the fiscal year, the city could amend the budget and bring that position back.

The budget was adopted by unanimous vote.