Rewind: Councilors approve $6,000,000 sewer bonds, consider 2.5% city pay raise
Last week, Wheeling city councilors approved the issuance of bonds to fund stormwater and sewer projects while the Finance Committee approved a 2.5% pay raise for city employees.
WHEELING, W. Va. – The Wheeling City Council and Finance Committee met Tuesday, July 15 to consider a handful of ordinances, resolutions and recommendations as the body continues to finalize its fiscal year 2025-26 budget.
Budget carryover could lead to city pay raise, community development specialist…
During a Finance Committee meeting, City Manager Robert Herron told committee members that the city ended the 2024-25 fiscal year with just over $374,000 in unspent, unencumbered funds to use for the 2025-26 fiscal year. He went on to say that the city budget was headed towards a “tighter situation” as federal and state funding appears to dry up.
While Herron admitted the six-figure carryover was not much to work with, he had two recommendations for the finance committee: use the funds to give a 2.5% pay raise to city employees and re-authorize funds for a now-inactive economic development specialist.
The across-the-board pay raise is estimated to cost $481,000 while the economic development specialist is estimated to cost $102,000 over ten months, including benefits and a base salary of $90,000. Combined, the two expenses total $583,000. That’s roughly $209,000 greater than the $374,000 cash carryover reported by Herron.
Herron and Finance Director Nathan Greene defended the proposal and its budgetary impacts. Greene said he was confident the city could make up the difference in funds in part due to reduced vacancies at the city’s police and fire departments reducing the burden of overtime pay.
Members of the finance committee and city council went on to defend the economic development specialist citing several projects, including the 1400 block of Market Street, the proposed WVU Medicine cancer center, filling retail space at the city’s Market Street parking structure and inventorying city property. “The time is ripe for us to really go head first into economic development,” Magruder said of the recommendation.
The finance committee unanimously approved Herron’s recommendations, sending the proposal to the full city council for their consideration at a later date.
Millions in bonds for stormwater, sewer projects approved…
Councilors unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing the city to issue up to $6,000,000 in bonds to cover the cost of “design, acquisition and construction of improvements and extensions to the sewerage portion of the existing public combined waterworks and sewerage system.” This comes as Wheeling has spent the last decade replacing and separating historic stormwater and sewer lines.
Currently, Wheeling – like many other cities in the United States – operates a combined stormwater and sewer system. This sees residential and commercial liquid waste flow through the same pipes as rain water and sent to the city’s wastewater treatment plant. While standard in many parts of the country, this system often leads the system to overcharge during rain events, causing untreated sewage to flow into area streams, creeks and the Ohio River.
While the $6,000,000 bonds are significant for a city operating on a $40.2 million budget, the city manager later clarified that it’s but a drop in the bucket compared to the total need. According to Herron, completing all water projects could cost $20 million. For sewer, the estimated cost jumps to $45 million.
Three sewer projects are included in the bond package approved by councilors.
Streetscape paving moving forward…
As the downtown Streetscape project nears its third year of progress, Herron says completion could come soon.
Beginning July 28, repairs will be made to manhole covers and other infrastructure access points that may have been damaged, or need to be raised, prior to paving. Afterwards, half of Market Street will be milled and paved allowing traffic to continue flowing during the project. During this phase, 10th, 12th and 14th streets will be paved as well. The work is estimated to take three or four weeks during the month of August.
Herron further stated that the Streetscape project will include a portion of 16th Street from Main Street to Chapline Street, as well as portions of Eoff and Chapline streets leading to Route 2. These routes, owned by the state and maintained by the Division of Highways, have been in disrepair for many years. This portion of the paving project should be completed later this fall.
The bioswales installed during the Streetscape project could see more regular maintenance soon. Herron said the city was looking into a private contractor who would weed beds twice a month. So far, many of the swales have seen plants jump their curbs as a hot, humid and wet summer aids in their rapid growth.
Ordinances passed; Ordinances proposed…
With a slim agenda, councilors had just a handful of ordinances and resolutions to consider at their Tuesday meeting. These include:
$6,000,000 in bonds for stormwater and sewer projects, as previously discussed;
$16,000 with Edgco, Inc. of Lansing, Ohio for “emergency interceptor” repair work behind the 19th Hole;
$35,499 with Cast and Baker Corp. of Cannonsburg, Pa. for emergency pavement repair to Monroe Avenue;
Two resolutions authorizing revisions to the coal severance budget and general fund for fiscal year 2025-26; and,
A resolution changing the next city council date from August 5 to August 12.
At their next meeting, councilors will consider a range of traffic rules, including a no right on red from Route 2 to Northern Parkway, a no parking zone and the installation of a stop sign on the corner of Walden Avenue and Knox Lane, adding a four-way stop sign to the intersection of 17th and Wood streets and adding a loading zone in front of 950 Market Street.
As well, a $48,250 ordinance extending sanitary sewers in Valley View and $40,642 ordinance for evidence collection equipment for the police department will be voted on.
The Wheeling City Council will hold its next regular business meeting on Tuesday, August 12.