Martins Ferry City Council on Dec. 22 passed three pieces of legislation the body described as emergency or temporary measures and approved personnel and pay changes during a special meeting.

The council adopted an ordinance making appropriations for city expenses for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2025, after suspending the rules to allow immediate consideration. Council then adopted a temporary-appropriations ordinance covering the first quarter of the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2026, and a resolution accepting amounts and rates set by the budget commission and certifying the necessary tax levies to the county auditor.

Why it matters: the appropriations and the levy certification allow the city to continue paying operations and to ensure property-tax levies are forwarded for collection; the temporary appropriations bridge funding at the start of the next fiscal year.

Actions and votes: council repeatedly moved to suspend rules so each item could be read and voted at the special meeting. Roll-call votes were recorded in each case; the presiding officer declared the ordinances and resolution passed following affirmative roll-call tallies.

Personnel decisions: during miscellaneous business the mayor said she will go part time Jan. 1 and asked the council to split duties currently combined in one post. The council voted to split the safety/service director position (the mayor said the duties are presently held by “Andy”), and then voted to increase the service director’s salary by $10,000 annually to compensate for the added responsibilities. The council also voted to raise elected officials’ pay by $50 per month for 2026 and 2027; the auditor was directed to record the change in the city’s books.

Other procedural items: the council voted to excuse Councilmember Armstrong from her final meeting. The meeting closed after brief remarks recognizing outgoing members and with an adjournment vote.

Council members framed the votes as procedural and routine, using suspension of rules to handle the business in the special session. No formal amendments to the ordinances were recorded during the meeting, and the motions carried by recorded or voice votes as noted in the official roll calls.

Next steps: the appropriations and levy certification will be implemented by city administration and the auditor; the personnel changes (separation of the safety and service director roles and the approved pay adjustments) will be handled administratively going into the new year.