BELLAIRE — The village of Bellaire projects a financial deficit of nearly $240,000 for 2018, and elimination of the police department could be considered in the coming weeks as village council works to reduce expenses.

Council convened a special meeting Wednesday night to approve the village’s 2018 fiscal year budget.

Members voted 5-0 to set expenditures at $1.36 million for the year — the same as for fiscal year 2017. Revenues, meanwhile, are expected to be $250,065 less than that amount.

After a carryover balance of $13,014 is factored into the equation, Bellaire expects to finish the year $237,050 in the red for 2018.

Voting in favor of the budget were council members Donny Maupin, Dan Brown, Nikki Liberatore, Jim Piatt and Robert Koteles. Councilman Jerry Fisher wasn’t present, nor was Village Clerk-Treasurer Tom Sable.

Council members said they must continue to work in the coming weeks to reduce village spending, and Bellaire officials have discussed the possibility of eliminating the police department and allowing the Belmont County Sheriff’s Department to provide police protection as one way to achieve this result.

The Bellaire Police Department was established in 1834.

Police Chief Michael Kovalyk has been a member of the force for more than 38 years. He said local police departments already have an established working relationship with the sheriff’s department, as all provide officers for the county agency’s Major Crimes Unit.

The unit organizes both a drug task force and a special operations branch among participating law enforcement.

“We’re doing what we can,” Kovalyk said of the Bellaire Police Department’s efforts to fight crime in Bellaire. “We appreciate the help we get from other agencies.”

Belmont County Commissioner Mark Thomas said the county is staying out of Bellaire’s decision as it pertains to maintaining its police department.

“The county’s position is this is the village of Bellaire’s issue — this is not a county issue at all,” he said. “We’re staying out of it. The sheriff (David Lucas) and I have spoken, and he understands that. We’re on the same page. The village of Bellaire has to decide its own fate with regard to the police department, and if they want to disband and have the sheriff take over.”

But the transaction isn’t a simple matter, according to Thomas. If Bellaire leaders want to turn over legal jurisdiction to the the sheriff’s department, they will have to make a proposal to Lucas, who then will bring the proposal to county commissioners for a final decision, according to Thomas.

“We want to stay out of this issue, because it is not our issue,” Thomas said.