The Bellefontaine City Council met in regular session Tuesday evening.
City Council agreed to move forward, pending approval from the Board of Elections, with a city income tax increase. The increase would move up to a 1% tax rate, an increase of .267%, and would be on the November ballot. The income tax increase will fund park improvements including a new city pool.
In an uneventful quick meeting the following action was taken:
1. Ordinances for 1st and final reading/adopted:
- An ordinance amending the service workers’ pay scale to increase the pay for the part-time cemetery maintenance worker
2. Resolution adopted:
- A resolution declaring the necessity of levying supplemental income taxes in the City of Bellefontaine, Ohio, in excess of one percent for purposes of Parks and Recreation and providing for the submission of the said question for the approval of the electors thereof
3. Ordinances for 2nd and final reading/adopted:
- An ordinance making supplemental appropriations and amending the permanent appropriations ordinance for purposes of the park department repairs and water department capital equipment and declaring an emergency
- An ordinance amending the clerical workers’ pay scale to add the permanent part-time evidence room manager/crime scene position to said scale
- An ordinance amending the annexation by Levan Investments LLC to correctly identify the acreage and declare an emergency.
4. Ordinances for 2nd reading:
- An ordinance amending the temporary part-time evidence room manager/crime scene position to a permanent position
- An ordinance repealing section 1185.26 of the planning and zoning code of the codified ordinances of the city of Bellefontaine, Ohio
Service Safety Director, Wes Dodds, informed the council that the 23rd Annual Hot Summer Nights Car Show will take place Saturday, August 12th. Downtown Bellefontaine’s DORA area will be suspended at the request of event organizers. Downtown streets are set to close at 2 PM for the event and will re-open at approximately 10 PM.
Police Chief Chris Marlow spoke to the group about a new cruiser that will be added to the police department’s fleet. The vehicle was ordered a long time ago and the department is looking forward to its addition.
Ben Volrath from Logan County’s Economic Development reported that Logan County has had an all-time low rate of unemployment since 1999. In April the unemployment rate was 2.6% and in May it was 2.8%. Results for June and July are pending.
The next scheduled meeting for the Bellefontaine City Council is on August 22nd at 7:30 PM in council chambers.
