Bradford City Council passed on final reading Tuesday a 2018 budget with no tax increase.
The total tax rate will remain at 18.02 mills.
Earlier in December, city officials were looking at a tax increase of 1.5 mills, but officials continued to examine the numbers until they were develop a budget with no increase. Total estimated expenditures for 2018 are $10,711,237.
Mayor Tom Riel attributed much of the budget to the efforts of city administrator Teri Cannon, who he said did an “extraordinary job.”
“I don’t think I could have done it without my staff,” said Cannon.
Riel and Cannon both said the department heads did their share, too.
Additionally, council passed a wage ordinance that was very similar to the one introduced earlier this month.
Council voted in favor of establishing a modified duty policy for city employees who are recovering from a medically documented for physical illness or injury, too.
Councilman Brad Mangel noted thanked Bradford City Police Chief Chris Lucco for instituting the policy, saying, “We need it.”
Other council members agreed.
Council approved meeting times for 2018, too.
Regular council meetings will be held at 7 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. The Downtown Bradford Business District Authority (DBBDA) will hold meetings at 8 a.m. the first Wednesday of each month and work sessions at 8 a.m. the third Wednesday.
The following will be held on an as-needed basis: civil service, 8 a.m. the first Monday of the month; planning commission, 5 p.m. the first Tuesday; council work sessions, 6 p.m. every Tuesday; plumbing board, 6:15 p.m. every Tuesday; board of health, 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday; pension board, 6:45 p.m. every Tuesday; and the Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB), noon on the third Monday.
Council also indicated that the city is seeking funding to purchase new air packs for the Bradford City Fire Department.
Council granted authorization to apply for a firefighters grant with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency. If the city received the grant for air packs, which they anticipate will cost $140,000, the city will be expected to fund 5 percent of the project, while the FEMA grant would cover 95 percent.
The council members also approved an athletic field maintenance fee for the third and fourth quarters to the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, as well as its 2017 annual allocation of $6,000 for the operation of the McKean County SPCA.
No visitors had questions at Tuesday’s meeting.
