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Last updated on Thursday, October 11, 2018
(BEDFORD) - The Bedford City Council approved an $18 million budget for 2019 at its monthly meeting Tuesday night.
Emily Ernsberger of the Times Mail reports, the total proposed budget of $18,088,792 is up more than $1 million from 2018. Most of the increase comes from a 1 percent pay raise proposed for all city employees, as well as paying for 2 percent of employees' 5 percent health insurance premiums.
Three other projects account for approximately half of the increase in the budget. About $300,000 has been budgeted for the principal and interest for a loan from the United States Department of Agriculture for work on the new StoneGate Arts and Education Center, which will be paid back beginning next year. Replacing three of the city's tornado sirens is estimated to cost $100,000, and matching a $500,000 Community Crossings grant to the Motor Vehicle Highway Fund to do paving on Edgewood Drive will cost approximately $237,000, if the city obtains the Community Crossings Matching Grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation to fund a majority of the project.
In addition, salaries for school resource officers, funding the city election next year and money to pay for the care of Green Hill Cemetery also were substantial additions to the budget.
Also during Tuesday's regularly scheduled council meeting, elected officials also approved a $376,000 reduction in the 2018 budget. Bedford Clerk-treasurer Marsha Pfeiffer said the reductions come from primarily budgeting more than expected for health insurance costs for city employees.
Information Times Mail, tmnew.com
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