Maria, a member of the city finance staff, presented the third‑quarter financial report to the Newcastle City Council and said most funds were on track at about 75% of the annual budget through Sept. 30. She attributed higher‑than‑expected revenues earlier in the year to building permits, impact fees and real estate‑related income, and noted investment interest had been strong and was on pace to exceed 2025 budget estimates.

Maria said certain expenditure categories were below expectations through the third quarter due to staffing reductions in line departments and timing differences; for example, the city had not yet paid the second half of the Belleview fire payment as of Sept. 30, which would increase public safety expenditures in the fourth quarter. She described the third quarter as relatively uneventful but warned that both revenues and expenditures typically change materially in the fourth quarter.

Council members offered brief congratulations on Maria’s work and asked routine follow‑up questions about staffing and line‑item details. No budget amendments or formal fiscal actions were proposed during the meeting; the council will consider fourth‑quarter variances and future adjustments as the fiscal year closes.