By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com

After five years of frozen salaries the Bucyrus City Council finally approved a $500 raise for council members.

Council approved the ordinance Tuesday night during a regular Bucyrus City Council meeting. It took a number of weeks before the legislation finally reached the full council for approval. The ordinance had been originally set to go before Council on Jan. 20 but it was pulled in order to discuss the possibility of insurance.

Ordinance 5-2015, which the entire Council approved, increased the salary of council members and council president by $500 to a total of $6,179.29 for 2016 and 2017. The new salaries for council members would result in one year of service equaling one-half of a year’s credit towards benefits and pension.

The full-time salary for the mayor was set at $50,000 for 2016, $51,500 for 2017, $53,045 for 2018, and $54,636.35 for 2019. The salary for the law director was set at $44,824.67 for 2016, $46,169.41 for 2017, $47,554.50 for 2018, and $48,981.13 for 2019. The auditor also received increases over the next four years from $44,824.67 in 2016 to $46,169.41 in 2017 to $47,554.50 in 2018 to $48,981.13 in 2019. The mayor, law director, and auditor will also receive medical insurance and life insurance coverage over that time period.

The adjustment in salaries for council members, mayor, law director, and auditor were set for the terms in which they would take effect.

Council passed four additional pieces of legislation during the meeting:
• Ordinance 6-2015, which amended Ordinance 25-2014 to add Section 2.1 Service/Safety Director to receive benefits similar to elected officials, including life insurance. The benefits will take effect on Jan. 1, 2016.
• Ordinance 7-2015, which repealed Section 509.05 of the Bucyrus Codified Ordinance. This section, which addressed loitering or remaining in a public place for the purpose of engaging in drug-related activity, was no longer legal as determined by the Supreme Court.
• Resolution 202-2015, which amended Resolution 216-2014 – Airport Taxiway Project. Changes needed to be made to the project due to the higher than projected cost. The project, which increased the FAA Grant by $25,733.21, is not to exceed $205,512.78 while the city’s portion is not to exceed $20,551.28. The 10 percent match required by the city will be covered by an additional one-third acreage donated by the R. Duane and Inez Hord family.
• Resolution 203-2015, which authorized the Service/Safety Director to enter into an agreement with the Bucyrus Tourism and Visitors’ Bureau. The city will pay the Tourism Bureau 50 percent of its Bed tax. The agreement was retroactive to May 14, 2014 and lasts through Dec. 31, 2015.

Law Director Rob Ratliff gave his annual report and noted that the significant increase in criminal and income tax cases can be credited to the influx of police officers within the department. Those levels are now reminiscent of the levels from 2009 and 2010. Ratliff, who stated that income tax cases were in the 400s in 2013, said that his office handled 1,634 cases in 2014. This January alone, 460 cases have been filed.

A Finance Committee meeting has been scheduled for 6 p.m. on Feb. 5 and a Traffic Commission meeting has been set for 10 a.m. on Feb. 6.