Commissioners approve FY2026 budget, multiple contracts and grant applications; authorize SAFER firefighter grant submission

The Bowling Green Board of Commissioners on June 17 approved the city's fiscal 2026 budget and a routine slate of municipal orders covering insurance, contracts, equipment purchases and grant applications, including a federal SAFER grant to request funding for nine additional firefighters.

The actions came during a regularly scheduled meeting at City Hall and passed unanimously where recorded. Commissioners voted to adopt the FY2026 budget on second reading and approved multiple single-item municipal orders that city staff said are included in the FY2026 appropriations.

Votes at a glance - Municipal Order 2025-134: Approved amendments to the Administrative Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual. (Motion: moved/second as recorded; Roll call: 5-0 yes.) - Municipal Order 2025-135: Approved a series of career-path promotions in multiple departments effective July 1 (police, fire, parks & rec, HR). (5-0 yes.) - Municipal Order 2025-136: Approved stop-loss insurance coverage for the city's self-funded health plan with North River Crum & Forrester for FY2026; staff said the change followed a raised specific-deductible to $300,000 and an approximately $152,000 increase budgeted for FY26. (5-0 yes.) - Municipal Order 2025-137: Authorized payment of premiums to Kentucky League of Cities Insurance Services for multiple coverages (general liability, law enforcement liability, property, workers'comp), with staff estimating an overall increase of about $274,000. (5-0 yes.) - Municipal Order 2025-138: Awarded bid #2025-42 to Scott & Ritter, Inc. for demolition and sinkhole repair, not to exceed $230,000. Staff said the contract is unit-cost based and will be the city's on-call vendor for sinkhole responses and demolition work. (5-0 yes.) - Municipal Order 2025-139: Authorized purchase of Titleist golf products for municipal courses through noncompetitive negotiation, not to exceed $100,000. (5-0 yes.) - Municipal Order 2025-140: Authorized performance food service as concession vendor for Russell Sims Aquatic Center, in an amount up to $58,000 for…