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Votes at a glance: how Bethlehem council acted on six budget amendments
Summary
Final actions: council grouped six amendments for discussion (7–0), rescinded three full-year amendments (7–0), then rejected the remaining six-month group (5–2); later substitute funding motions and a proposed tax increase to fund four positions failed.
Key roll-call outcomes from the Dec. 2025 final budget hearing:
- Grouping motion: Council voted 7–0 to group amendments 1 through 6 for discussion so the council could consider the proposals together.
- Rescind (amendments 1, 3, 5): After debate about feasibility of full-year hires, council voted 7–0 to rescind the three year-long amendment scenarios and limit consideration to six-month options.
- Vote on grouped six-month scenarios (2, 4, 6): After additional discussion and competing substitute proposals, the grouped six-month amendments failed, 5 against and 2 in favor.
- Substitute motions to move money (Councilman Callahan): Several later motions to reallocate fire overtime and cash-balance funds to cover four six-month firefighter positions were presented and failed on recorded roll calls.
- Proposed increase to real-estate tax revenue ($331,479): A motion to raise real-estate tax revenue to fund the four six-month positions was brought forward and failed on a 4–3 roll call.
Votes are recorded in full in council minutes and were taken by roll call in open session. Advertised final readings remain scheduled for Dec. 16; any future changes that would increase recurring expenditures or change millage would require proper advertising and statutory steps before enactment.
