By Blythe Alspaugh
TIPP CITY — The 2022 Annual Budget was approved in a unanimous vote by Tipp City Council at a special meeting held Thursday, Jan. 28.
The meeting had been held in order to approve the budget ahead of the Feb. 7 council meeting, as well as companion legislation that authorizes city Financial Director John Green to make purchases listed on the budget.
The budget was originally introduced to council in December 2021 and had failed to pass at the Dec. 20, 2021 council meeting due to several members expressing concern over a $500,000 projected deficit. The current standing council continued discussion over the deficit, and the legislation was amended at the Jan. 18 meeting to reduce the deficit by $236,000 off of the then-projected $361,257 deficit. Cuts to the budget to accommodate this included:
• $75,000 from police wages and benefits by holding off on filling the deputy chief position;
• $90,000 from Fire/EMS wages and benefits from uncovered shifts. While uncovered shifts are not ideal, the city experienced significant cost savings in 2021 due to this practice;
• $40,000 from Fire/EMS other expenses. Critical equipment needed for the department had been added to the General Fund in the event the Capital Improvement Levy was not passed. With the CIP levy passing, those items could be moved back to the CIP Fund for the immediate period;
• $24,000 from Parks Department wages and benefits; and,
• $7,500 from Parks Department wages and benefits by reducing the number of seasonal employees in the parks.
With potential revenue increases from income tax and miscellaneous revenue and the reduction in the projected deficit, the city has a projected surplus of $243.
In addition to the budget and companion legislation, council approved a resolution authorizing City Manager Tim Eggleston to file a grant application and enter into an agreement with the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce for the extension and expansion of sanitary sewer mains within Tipp City.
The resolution had been originally approved at the Jan. 18 meeting, but it was amended due to a typographical error in the resolution that incorrectly stated that the project would cost $5,144,934; the correct cost of the project is $5,774,116, which had been stated on a powerpoint given at a work session and in materials sent to council. The new resolution included a section that repealed the previous resolution.
The next meeting of Tipp City Council will be held Monday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
