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Wellsville council adopts tentative 2025 budget; highlights pay raises, capital projects and sewer study
Summary
The Wellsville City Council approved a tentative two-year budget that includes a 5% pay raise for full-time employees, a sewer study and several capital projects, while staff warned sewer lagoon upgrades could require significant future spending.
Wellsville City Council on May 20 approved a tentative 2025 budget that balances general, capital, water, sewer and stormwater funds and sets out planned pay raises, capital projects and a sewer-study to address lagoon performance.
The council voted to accept the tentative budget after a staff presentation that compared two years of figures and summarized priorities including employee pay, public works equipment, park improvements and sewer-lagoon work.
Key budget items and figures discussed: - Employee pay: Staff proposed and the council approved a 5% pay raise for full-time employees; part-time employees were not included in the general increase. The mayor and staff cited neighboring cities’ raises as the benchmark. - Health insurance and benefits: Health insurance premiums were reported to have risen about 4.6% year over year; the city pays 95% of the premium while employees pay 5%. The city continues employer contributions to state retirement plans and offers a 2.5% match tied to employee contributions to supplemental retirement accounts. - Court and law enforcement: Court operating expenses were projected at about $429,307; law enforcement expenses for next year were listed at $76,944 (an increase from the prior year). - Parks and capital projects: The council is budgeting $75,000 toward tennis court work, with prior funds and savings also available; staff said current contractor estimates push the project closer to $180,000 and council may need to shift capital funds. Plans also include sidewalk and public-works additions, chip-and-seal and roadway repair projects. - Water and sewer capital: Water funds include well refurbishment and a 200 West waterline. The sewer fund includes several upgrades and a master-plan update. Staff said a sewer-lagoon upgrade involving aeration and a wave device (to address BOD and TSS levels and duckweed problems) could be near $1 million and would likely require a combination of capital funds and potentially a low-interest loan. - Stormwater: Staff listed a stormwater mitigation sum of $535,300, including a planned drain around a retention pond and road/swell rehabilitation at Second South and Center Street.
Why it matters: The tentative budget sets the city’s priorities for the coming year and frames how capital projects — particularly a potentially expensive sewer fix — will be funded. Staff said the sewer study underway will inform whether sewer rates or other revenues need adjustment.
Vote and next steps: A council member moved to accept the tentative budget; a second followed and the council approved the tentative budget by voice vote. The council will meet again in June to consider a final budget.
Ending: Staff will continue the sewer study with JUB and rural water partners, refine capital estimates (notably for tennis courts and sewer upgrades) and return a formal final budget for council adoption at the next meeting.
