Bradford City Council passed its budget on first reading Tuesday with a .47 mill tax increase.

“There’s not been a tax increase since 2019, so roughly five years,” said Mayor Tom Riel. “This is the first reading, it’s a work in progress. It may change.”

He explained one mill brings in about $170,000 in taxes to the city. The increase is due largely to rising costs across the board.

“The city has seen significant increases in the past five years as most of you have seen in your own personal lives,” Riel said. He explained some of the rising costs for the city.

“Those increases have been in, but not limited to, employee wage increases that cost the City of Bradford approximately $100,000 each year for our contractual wage increases for our employees,” he said. “Insurance costs — the yearly increase for our insurance cost is somewhere between 16 and 26 percent for next year and is going to go up in the following years.

“We all know utilities have gone up,” he added. “The cost of a garbage packer has gone up. We just bought a new one. Roughly a third-of-a-million dollars for a garbage truck and we received word from the landfill they are going to increase costs of our tonnage as well as costs of mattresses, now going up to $17 instead of $15.”

Maintenance costs are rising as well.

Referring to the budget, Riel said, “It’s a work in progress and we’ll see what happens between now and Dec. 30.”

During the public comment portion of the meeting, two women addressed council, presenting a petition for better sidewalks in the city. The women explained they are older, and some of the sidewalks that aren’t in front of homes or businesses, and taken care of, are treacherous.

“I ride my scooter everyday on the street,” one said. “There are dangerous sidewalks around town.”

They presented photos of problem areas as well. Riel said, “The sidewalks are the responsibility of the property owner, but the city has programs” that may be able to help.

During the meeting, council approved seeking a $1 million grant from the Commonwealth Financing Agency for a new fire station.

Riel voted yes to the measure, but added, “we’re going to need more funds than a million dollars for a new fire station, but this could be a start.”

The resolution on the agenda noted the grant could be used for construction and engineering for a new station.

Also at the meeting, council awarded an emergency demolition bid for 159 E. Main St. to 6V Excavation for $7,372. At a recent meeting of the city’s board of health, health director Brandon Plowman said the structure is dangerous.

The roof leaks, which compromised the flooring and the foundation has collapsed. There was a fire inside the residence in 2020, which burned out the floor in the living room. It was deemed in imminent danger of collapse.

Council also approved a certificate of appropriateness for Bradford Landmark Society for installing a new sign on the front of their building on East Corydon Street. The new sign indicates it is the Landmark Society, Herbig Bakery, the oldest building in the historic district and circa 1874.

Council also granted free parking in the downtown district during the holiday shopping season, from Nov. 29 through Jan. 1.

The next council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 10.