Bessemer passes 2024-25 budget of $4.2 million

By D. Lang

[email protected]

Bessemer — The Bessemer City Council approved on Monday evening a resolution supporting a 2024-25 fiscal year budget of $4,211,574.

The city’s new fiscal year will run from July 1 of this year until June 30 of 2025.

The general fund millage will be 17.3564 mills, and the Bessemer Public Library millage will be 1 mill. General and library millages are expected to raise $580,000 and $35,000, respectively.

Estimates of expenditures are as follows: General Fund, $1,608,763.00; Major Streets, $404,700; Local Streets, $311,550; Downtown Development Authority, $67,100; Sewer Utility, $680,468; Water Utility, $938,193; Trash Disposal, $191,900; and Building Authority, $8,900.

The general fund further breaks down as follows: Administration and general city government funds, $792,923; cemetery and building, $99,550; public safety (police and fire protection), $123,915; Public Works (streets, sidewalks and street lighting), $280,300; Parks and Recreation, $34,150; city library, $119,050; debt services, $127,125; blight remediation, $7,000; and transfers to other funds, $58,900.

The budget resolution will be signed by Deputy City Clerk Samantha Dorr.

In other news, the council also:

—Approved a wage increase to $15 per hour for new part-time library aide Warren Grass. “The raise in wage should fit our budget, and he’ll only be working ten hours a week,” said library director Melissa Lupino, who expressed optimism about Grass suggesting “new ideas” for improving the library. Lupino said that the final wage of retired library aide Maryann Horswill was $10.50 per hour. Lupino said that Horswill was paid the state minimum wage during the entire decade she worked in that position.

—Approved a request by Ginny Boline to allow the main street pocket park to be used for a June 26 Tree of Honor Ceremony, with a contingency for use of the fire hall in the event of rain.

—Tabled a decision on an agreement with the Gogebic Range Water Authority.