Annual permanent appropriations for the city of Bellefontaine received final approval during the Tuesday, March 28, regular city council meeting.
The 2023 appropriations package totals $32.8 million for the year, and includes a General Fund budget of $12 million.
This year’s spending plan represents a 4.25 percent increase over the 2022 budget, but is less than the six percent rate of inflation over the last 12 months. City employees were afforded a 3 percent pay increase for the year, but the 2023 budget also assumes an 8 percent increase in the cost of health insurance, city administrators report.
About half of the General Fund appropriations are allocated for emergency-service operations. Fire and police departments combine for about $7 million to operate.
The fire department is appropriated $2.6 million and the police department is $4.4 million to operate. The city municipal court is allocated just over $1 million in appropriations.
City council also heard Tuesday from its incoming Interim Police Chief Lt. Chris Marlow.
He will be replacing Chief Brandon Standley, who officially resigns for the purpose of retirement on April 7.
Lt. Marlow is a lifelong Bellefontaine resident and has served on the police department for more than 25 years. He has extensive law enforcement training and background, and thanked council members for their support.
A moment of silence was offered in the memory of Phil Beasley, who passed away Tuesday. He was a Bellefontaine resident and former city service-safety director from 1983-1995.
The next regular city council meeting is April 11.