By Mike Crowley
Meadville Tribune Dec 17, 2020
Dec 17, 2020
City Council on Wednesday voted 3-2 to give final approval to the 2021 budget and the 1-mill tax increase that goes with it.
As with the preliminary approval given at councilâs previous meeting, Mayor LeRoy Stearns, Deputy Mayor Larry McKnight and Councilwoman Autumn Vogel voted in favor of the tax increase while members Sean Donahue and Jim Roha were opposed.
The $10.14 million budget represents an increase of about $225,000 over the budget adopted last year. More than 70 percent of expenditures related to personnel costs, which was a factor in Stearnsâ decision to cast the deciding vote in favor of the tax increase. The choice facing council, Stearns said, was either to use up virtually all of the cityâs reserve funds or immediately make drastic cuts to city staff.