Saline Takes Next Steps with Davenport-Curtiss Mansion Acquisition

Saline City Council approved three key steps at its Feb. 2, 2026, meeting to advance the City’s $3 million acquisition of the Davenport-Curtiss Mansion, setting expectations for a new working group, approving a budget amendment to complete the purchase, and launching the formal public process for potential bond financing to restore the City’s fund balance.

Work Group Expectations and Timelines

Council first discussed how it wants the Davenport-Curtiss House Working Group to operate as it evaluates long-term options for the historic property.

Councilmember Janet Dillon raised concerns about the lack of defined milestones beyond the group’s three-year end date. “I’m very concerned with right now, the only thing that’s in there is an end date of three years,” Dillon said. “I feel like there needs to be benchmarks. There needs to be report-outs. There needs to be other aspects of this.”

Dillon said she wanted clearer expectations about how and when council would receive information. “It would be nice to know in advance, or if there is a different direction in which the group thinks that this needs to go, just having that timeline and understanding we’ve looked at, you know, options, A, B and C,” she said, adding that it would be helpful to know early if certain options were “off the table.”

Marl pointed to reporting requirements already built into the framework, including a six-month report by August 2026, annual updates in 2027 and 2028, and a final recommendation by February 2029. He added that the process is expected to include “surveys, polls and community engagement when appropriate, to identify the thoughts and opinions of those that we represent in the community, both business owners and private citizens.”

Budget Amendment to complete the Purchase

While the City previously approved the $3 million acquisition of the Davenport-Curtiss House at 300 E. Michigan Ave., only $50,000 had been budgeted for the initial deposit. A budget amendment was required to authorize the full purchase amount under state law.

City staff outlined that paying the full amount from the Unassigned General Fund Balance would temporarily drop the City below its policy target of maintaining 15–20% of annual expenditures in reserve. Using cash would reduce the fund balance to approximately 8.6%, triggering a requirement for council to adopt a restoration plan.

Staff explained that using fund balance allows the City to take immediate ownership, avoid interest costs during early planning, and give the working group time to determine future use options. However, it also reduces liquidity and limits flexibility for other projects until the balance is restored.

The approved amendment increased the General Fund budget line for the acquisition to $3.1 million and set the stage for later reimbursement through bond financing.

Notice of Intent to Issue Bonds

As a final step, council considered and approved a resolution declaring its intent, not a final decision, to issue capital improvement bonds to reimburse the General Fund and restore fund balance levels.

City Manager Dan Swallow emphasized that the action followed earlier due diligence. “As was discussed during the due diligence and the presentation prior to deciding to acquire the Davenport-Curtiss House, one of the items we looked at was financing to restore the fund balance,” Swallow said. He added that the goal was to “make sure there’s sufficient fund balance… as well as, you know, basically reimburse ourselves for the cost of the acquisition.”

The proposed bonds would be limited tax general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $3.25 million, with estimated annual payments of about $236,330 over 20 years.

For a deeper dive, the complete information packet and meeting video can be found on the city’s website.

Photo by STN Design