Dunkirk sets its 2019 budget

DUNKIRK — The budget is set.

After a couple of weeks of debate, Dunkirk City Council on Monday adopted a $1.68-million-budget for 2019.

Mayor Gene Ritter said the council was able to “trim some fat” from this year’s budget by adopting the same $1.67-million-budget passed in 2018, with the addition of a 2-percent salary increase for city employees. The pay raise was approved during the Aug. 27 meeting.

“In the upcoming year, we’re going to be diligently trying to find ways to improve that budget further going forward,” Ritter said. “Hopefully by the next budget round, we’re going to have some improvements made.”

Also Monday, council renewed its health insurance with Barnum-Brown Insurance. The renewal includes an enhanced fitness reimbursement feature effective Jan. 1, 2019; a $1,500 increase in the out-of-pocket minimums per employee; a $50 decrease in the urgent care copay; a 6-percent increase in premiums; a $5,000 increase in life insurance coverage; and a change from a Tier 3 Program to a Tier 4 Program. The tier change would decrease the cost of some generic prescriptions but would increase the price of name-brand prescriptions, said Barnum-Brown representative Aaron Ritter.

Council also discussed updating its weed ordinance, but ultimately tabled the discussion until its Nov. 12 meeting. The ordinance would implement new rules on how tall grass and weeds can be, versus enforcing the city’s current four-times-a-year rule about cutting the grass.

In other business, council:

•Heard from council member Tom Johnson, who said two mums were stolen — one from the local VFW and the other from the green space next to the Marathon gas station on Main Street.