Bradford City Council passed a final budget that calls for an increase in property tax rates, but an increase that is far less than first anticipated.

Council also took Tuesday’s meeting — the last of the year and final meeting for several city officials in their current hats — to say good-bye.

In 2020, the property tax rate will be 18.52 mills, or 1.852 cents on every $100. This is an increase of 0.5 mills.

Mayor Tom Riel said this is an increase of about $25 on a $50,000 house.

In November, city officials were looking at a tax increase of 3.94 mills, but that increase was lowered through continued budget talks.

Councilman Brad Mangel, who serves as the director of accounts and finance for council, made a statement regarding the budgets, saying, “I am taking a majority of the responsibility for that stated increase. As accounts and finance director, I should have been forceful on insisting for a millage increase in the previous years.”

He explained that the city’s services are supported by just over 60% of property owners, and the city’s revenues are not keeping up with the expenses.

According to Mangel, Bradford City qualifies as a financially distressed municipality under Pennsylvania’s Municipal Financial Recovery Act three different ways: maintaining a deficit over a three-year period with a deficit of 1% or more in each of the previous fiscal years; having expenditures exceeding revenues for three years or more; and accumulating and operating for two successive years a deficit of 5% or more of its revenues.

Mangel shared his appreciation of City Administrator Teri Cannon and Police Chief Chris Lucco, who also serves as director of personnel and purchasing. Mangel is grateful for the pair’s “efforts to find a solution to the current and future deficits.

“With the help of the department heads and city employees, I am confident a viable solution will materialize,” said Mangel of the city’s budget woes.

Resident Mark Austin spoke up about his thoughts on the city’s difficulty meeting expenses, saying he feels the city has been “subsidizing the townships in a couple of ways,” for instance, by supporting 24-hour fire and ambulance departments that offer assistance to surrounding municipalities, as well as maintaining the Callahan Park ice rink.

Riel agreed that he feels the townships should pay more for services such as ambulance coverage and noted that those fees are slowly being raised.

Despite increasing costs, the budget that council passed for 2020 calls for a decrease in expenditures from the previous two years, with expenditures estimated at $10,071,659.

Meanwhile, expenditures for 2018 were $10,482,076, and the expenditures for 2019 are anticipated to be $10,381,043.

Council passed an ordinance for 2020 salaries and wages of city employees, too.

The meeting ended with acknowledgements of people who are leaving their posts in 2020.

Riel is ending a 12-year hitch as mayor, with newly elected mayor James McDonald set to take over in January.

Also, Cannon — who Mangel noted served as the first city administrator — is retiring. Lucco will leave the police department and take over as city administrator. Also retiring is solicitor Mark Hollenbeck, who Mangel called a “calming influence”; Hollenbeck will be replaced by another attorney from his firm, Casey Graffius. Jeff Andrews, housing rehabilitation director/construction manager for the Office of Economic and Community Development, is retiring, too, and Cannon made sure Andrews was recognized for his accomplishments.

Councilman Tim Pecora said that Riel “never quits fighting on behalf of the city of Bradford,” and listed accomplishments of the outgoing mayor including efforts to seek private investments for city projects and lobbying in Harrisburg.

Riel shared his appreciation of his political supporters, his wife and other family members and his friends, making note of the hardship that public criticism has had on them.

Riel said he talked about the progress made in the city during his years in office, comparing Bradford to a ship going in the wrong direction and taking on water.

“I am comfortable that we have plugged those holes and steered our city in another direction,” he said.

That progress, he said, is due to the teamwork of council, city employees, other city representatives and community leaders.

“To those who have made a hobby out of trying to tear down all that is good in our city, know this — I have had to bite my tongue for years, but come next month that all changes,” Riel said. “Karma will be exposing those folks for what they really are.”

He spoke with appreciation for his time as mayor.

“The only honor that I have experienced in my life greater than serving our city as mayor is the unconditional love of my wife, family and closest friends. It truly has been an honor and privilege to serve.”

Also at the meeting, it was announced that the city received notice earlier this month that it will receive a $300,000 Keystone Communities Program Grant. The money will go toward streetscape improvements in the historic district.

Council set 2020 meeting times and dates at the following times: civil service meetings, first Monday of each month as needed at 8 a.m.; Planning Commission, first Tuesday as needed, 5 p.m.; city council work sessions, every Tuesday as needed, 6 p.m.; Plumbing Board, every Tuesday as needed, 6:15 p.m.; Board of Health, every Tuesday as needed, 6:30 p.m.; pension board, every Tuesday as needed, 6:45 p.m.; city council, second and fourth Tuesdays at 7 p.m.; and Historical Architectural Review Board, third Monday as needed, noon.

The Downtown Bradford Business District Authority will meet at 8 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month, except January, when the meeting will be the second Wednesday. Work sessions will be the third Wednesday at 8 a.m.

The following board appointments/reappointments were approved, too: Roy Pedersen, five-year term, Board of Appeals; Dan Minich and Tina Martin, three-year terms, Bradford Area Public Library board; Rhett Kennedy, four-year term, Civil Service Commission; Marty Cummins, Bill Lewis and Tyler Winner, five-year terms, DBBDA; Thomas Shay, five-year-term, Tree Board; Dennis Stromberg, five-year term, Parking Authority; Tim Roff and Brad Mangel, five-year terms, Bradford Sanitary Authority; Ronald Orris, five-year term, Bradford City Water Authority; Tom Bowes and Robert Geisler, three-year terms, Zoning Hearing Board; and Sherri Geary, five-year term, Redevelopment Authority.

Council also approved the sales of five tax parcels from the McKean County Tax Claim Repository and declined three others.

These were approved: 173 South Ave. to Anthony Giordano, 112 Summer St. to Paula Urbassik, 130 Barbour St. to Richard and Gerald Cottillion, 50 Rochester St. to David Ackley and 9 Rochester St. to Anthony Weezorak. The sales must receive approval from the other two taxing bodies, the Bradford Area School District and the McKean County commissioners, before they can go forward.

These three sales were declined because they have been deemed beyond the scope of renovations: 48 Hobson Place, 117 High St. and 29 Linwood Ave.