As the deadline to pass the 2026 budget looms, council members and Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration confront dueling narratives about the reality of the city’s financial state.

Since Mr. Gainey introduced his 2026 budget in November, there have been competing viewpoints. Mr. Gainey and his team have asserted that the budget is balanced and workable, while members of city council and the city controller slammed it as a dishonest and phony document that doesn't accurately represent the city's financial woes.

“I feel like we’re in sort of a confusing moment,” Councilwoman Barb Warwick said. “Are we falling off the cliff or not? Is it balanced or not?”

Council and the controller’s concerns stem mainly from what they believe is a dishonest calculator of expenditures such as overtime and ut

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