By Lukas Brinkerhoff

October 22, 2007 | WELLSVILLE -- $18,056 was allocated by the City Council to the Fire Department's budget during a public hearing. The funds were received from the county for fires fought over the summer. Representatives from the fire department presented their budget and longterm strategic plan to the council.

A fire truck, more training and exercise equipment are the top priorities for fire department. City Manager Don Hartle explained that the city currently has $25,000 set aside for the needed truck.

The council also discussed their concern over the department's equipment and the lack of wage increases.

"We don't do it for the money," Fireman Jeremie Poppleton said in response to the council's comments.

In other business, the council heard Bevan Higbee's concern over the increase in property taxes. Higbee said he had owned his home for 35 years without making any improvements, but during that same time the value of his home had increased 700 percent. He said his property taxes, due to a new assessment of his property, had gone up 22 percent this year.

Hartle pointed out that the city of Wellsville had not increased its tax rate in 22 years.

Higbee concluded his presentation by asking the council to support him in his efforts to encourage legislators to pass a law to limit the rate that taxes increase. The council thanked Higbee for his concern.

The council received a draft of the Sexually Oriented Business code that, as one of its stipulations, limits such business from being within 1000 ft. of a cemetery.

"Why would the dead people care?" asked Councilman Thomas G. Bailey.

The council will hold public hearings once the code is ready.

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