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Weirton Council approves budget revision, salary changes and vacant-building registration; tables hiring of six firefighters
Summary
Weirton City Council on Jan. 12 approved a revision to the 2025–26 General Fund budget, an ordinance updating nonunion salary ranges, and a vacant building registration program, while unanimously tabling a resolution to hire six firefighters for further workshop review.
Weirton — The Weirton City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 12 to approve a resolution revising the 2025–26 General Fund budget, adopt an ordinance modifying salary ranges for certain nonunion municipal positions and enact a vacant building registration program, while tabling a separate resolution to hire six additional firefighters and reopen the County Road fire station.
City Manager Michael A. Adams presented the budget revision to reflect increased health-care benefit costs for the coming six months. Councilman Rick Stead moved approval; a roll-call vote recorded seven yes votes and no opposition. Finance Director Diana Smoljanovich reported the beginning General Fund cash balance was approximately $4,506,052.07, deposits of about $700,909.72, transfers including $100,000 to Transit and $99,151.25 to the HUD/IAR account, and disbursements totaling roughly $2,584,791.78, leaving an ending cash balance near $2,427,346.85.
Council also approved on second reading Ordinance No. 2268 to add a disability parking space at 105 Weirview Street and Ordinance No. 2269 amending Appendix A of the Rules and Regulations for the Police Civil Service Commission; both motions carried 7–0. An ordinance modifying Ordinance No. 1313 to set new minimum and maximum salary levels for specific nonunion municipal employees and to add or eliminate positions was moved by Councilman Christopher Jonczak and approved unanimously.
A separate resolution to authorize hiring six additional firefighters and to reopen the County Road fire station (sponsored by Councilmen Timothy Connell, Brittany Holloway and Anthony Rocchio) was moved to table by Councilman Rick Stead and the motion to table passed 7–0. Councilmembers told the meeting the tabling was procedural: the item will be revisited at a Jan. 22 workshop with input from Fire Department personnel so the hiring and retention plan can be more fully developed and supported.
The Council recorded no dissent to the budget, salary or vacant-building items at the Jan. 12 meeting. The tabling of the firefighter resolution preserves the proposal for further review rather than rejecting it.
What happens next: The firefighter proposal is scheduled for further discussion at a Jan. 22 workshop that Council said will include Fire Department input; the budget and ordinance amendments take effect as adopted by the Council.
