TIPP CITY — A new Tipp City Council discussed an ordinance adopting the 2022 Annual Budget for the city at Monday’s council meeting.

Much of the discussion centered around a projected $360,000 deficit, which caused concern for several members of council. Newly elected Mayor Mike McFarland motioned to delay the hiring of a deputy chief within the police department for up to six months in order to reduce the projected deficit to approximately $285,000. The motion failed in a 2-5 vote, with Council Members Ryan Liddy, Douglas Slagel, Joanna Pittenger, Greg Enslen and Council President Kathryn Huffman voting against the motion.

“We need to be able to say that we can do this in a healthy way, without sacrificing vital services we have from our police and fire, and I think we need to give some serious consideration to this budget across the board and see in all the departments where we can slim down, and what’s necessary for Tipp City without increasing taxes on the citizens,” Huffman said.

Finance Director John Green said that not everything in the budget will happen in 2022, and that the city will be getting $50,000 that was not originally anticipated prior to the budget being put together. The money, according to Green, will be received within the next two weeks.

“Although we have projected a deficit, things happen that we can’t necessarily plan for, and that has been where, over the last 15 years, we have managed to be in a much better position than we have planned on being at the end of each one of those years,” Green said.

The ordinance was sponsored by Council Member Robert Schwab, and will be voted on at the next council meeting.

Council also passed several items on the agenda, including:

• A resolution approving the construction agreement and subdividers agreement for the Brooks Cottages of Tippecanoe subdivision in a 6-1-0 vote, with Liddy abstaining;

• A motion to appoint Heather Wendel to the Restoration Board for a three-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2024;

• A motion to appoint Ben Graham and Richard Newman to the Parks Board for a four-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2025;

• A motion to appoint Vanessa Starkey to the Parks Board for an unexpired term expiring Dec. 31, 2024;

• A motion to appoint Thomas DeRoss to the Tree board for a three-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2024;

• A motion to appoint Matt Spring and Schwab to the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission & Transportation Committee as a representative and alternate for one-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2022;

• A motion to appoint Eric Mack and Matt Spring to the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Technical Advisory Committee as a representative and alternate for one-year terms ending on Dec. 31, 2022;

• A motion to appoint Slagel and McFarland to the Tipp City Volunteer Firemen’s Dependent Board for a one-year term ending Dec. 31, 2022;

• A motion to appoint Enslen and Pittenger to the Tipp-Monroe Community Services, Inc. Advisory Board for a one-year term expiring on Dec. 31, 2022;

• A motion to appoint Green and Spring to the Tipp City Tax Incentive Review Council for one-year terms ending on Dec. 31, 2022;

• A motion to appoint Enslen and Mack as a representative and alternate to the OMEA board for one-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2022;

• A motion to appoint Liddy and Tim Eggleston to the Downtown Tipp City Partnership for one-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2022; and

• A motion to appoint McFarland to the Miami County Council for a one-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2022, which was approved in a 4-3 vote with Enslen, Liddy and Pittenger voting against the motion.

The next meeting of Tipp City Council will be held Monday, Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m.