T-L Photo/SHELLEY HANSON MIKE WALLACE, Bellaire village administrator, conducts village business on his cellphone outside of the municipal building last week. Bellaire’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget is nearly $4 million.

BELLAIRE — Village Council approved a nearly $4 million budget for Fiscal Year 2021.

Bellaire Village Treasurer/Auditor Tom Sable said the total budget of $3,994,869 consists of a $1,275,063 General Fund and $2,719,869 in other funds.

One of the village’s largest expenses is the water department, which totals $1,512,543. The police department will spend $580,800, and the $180,930 will be spent on the street department.

The village estimates it will spend $558,044 on its sanitation department and $218,802 for sewer-related expenses.

“Appropriations can be adjusted by council as they so desire at any given time. An example would be that if anticipated projected revenues were to be trending downward in a consistent manner, then, the appropriations would in turn have to adjust downward as well to be more in line with the declining revenue,” Sable said.

Sable noted the water department is one portion of the budget the village continues to have issues with.

“The village water department has been predominantly the one area where we have struggled with stagnant to declining revenues while attempting to maintain necessary expenses to operate and renovate the village’s water system,” he said. “The village is diligently working with the (Ohio Environmental Protection Agency), Rural Community Assistance Program, and federal, state and local agencies for funding assistance to bring many upgrades to our water treatment plant facility in addition to needed replacement and upgrades in our water infrastructure system.”

Council is expected to soon mull a water rate increase, which is expected to allow the village to attain a needed Ohio EPA loan and grant to cover the cost of two new air strippers for the water treatment plant. The project is estimated at $3 million.

“Water rate structure will be an area that will have to be addressed in order to effectively accommodate the upgrades and necessary changes to our water system. These positive changes will position the village well to accommodate and better serve our residents, along with the anticipated commercial growth in our riverfront area,” Sable said.

The next regular Bellaire Village Council meeting is set for 6 p.m. April 1 at the municipal building.