MOUNT VERNON – Mount Vernon City Council approved its 2022 budget of $58.5 million at its meeting Monday.
The budget includes $12 million in the General Fund, Council President Bruce Hawkins said.
“This is a significant resolution, and it gives the administration the guidance as far as spending for this upcoming year,” he said.
The council met on Saturday, Jan. 22, to discuss the budget with Auditor Terry Scott and finalize the resolution, which was then approved on Jan. 24.
On Dec. 27, 2021, the council had approved a two-month appropriation of $8.47 million.
Scott told the Mount Vernon News that previous years' budgets were similar. In 2021, the city spent $59.5 million. A year earlier during the start of the pandemic, the city budget was higher at $60.3 million with the addition of CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act funding.
The budget includes $318,000 for capital expenditures, which includes mowing equipment for the Cemetery and Parks departments and leaf boxes that slide into city trucks for leaf collections.
At least a half million dollars was set aside for citywide paving, Scott said. Paving work in 2021 was slightly less than planned but will pick up this year.
“We did diminish a little bit of our paving work this past year in 2021 due to the fact that we needed to rebuild a part of a highway over here on Chestnut Street that [required significant] improvements that we needed to have done due to that lightning strike to the waterline systems in that general area,” he said.
Ohio Public Works will fund safety improvements on Mansfield Road at the intersection right next to an elementary school. A $117,000 grant will fund the work.
Traffic lights will be installed on North Sandusky Street in the area of Tilden Avenue and Belmont, Scott said.
Resurfacing of parking lots at the C&C Depot and the Station Break also are included in capital funding.
The city hopes to continue its brick street project for another two blocks north on Catherine Street if its application for a $470,000 Community Development Block Grant is approved.
An additional $50,000 was budgeted for brick street rehabilitation throughout the city to fix areas where the bricks have sunken.
Between $350,000 and $400,000 in improvements for storm water and wastewater are planned for the Clintonville area up on Clinton Road, Grange and Fern, and Pearl, he said. That will lead to a water line extension along Fairgrounds Road in 2023 with help from Knox County and a township through ARPA funding.
Firefighters, civilian honored
Fire Chief Chad Christopher handed out awards to an officer, a firefighter and a civilian during the council meeting.
Capt. Trevor Williams was named the department’s first Officer of the Year.
“To be named Officer of the Year, your actions are relevant throughout the entire year. No one event or one action can propel you into a situation that warrants this award,” Christopher said.
Williams took over the part-time firefighter program and the onboarding of the new firefighters while also taking on overtime shifts so others could have time off. He also was a leader in training and promoting the department’s incident command system.
Nathan Hines was named Firefighter of the Year. His daily contributions make the team better and enables it to provide better service, Christopher said.
“You're a jack of all trades, the person you are is there to talk with teammates when they need it. You're an excellent cook, which is important because we all know how valuable family meals are,” he said.
The Civilian Cross goes to a non-employee, and for 2021, Heidi Peterson was chosen. A lieutenant in the military reserve, she was chosen for her brave and heroic actions after a motor vehicle crash on Nov. 24, 2021.
She was one of the first people to arrive at a crash on State Route 229 West in Mount Vernon as the vehicle was smoking and catching fire.
“With great bravery and urgency, you and an unknown male pulled the driver from the vehicle and moved him to safety,” Christopher said.
She also assisted in administering firsts aid to the injured motorist.
“Upon the Mount Vernon Fire Department’s arrival flames were coming from the engine and passenger compartment. Your quick action to remove the driver from the vehicle was not only brave and heroic, but it was lifesaving,” he said.
