BY Nikki Burkhamer
Examiner Contributor
West Liberty Village Council met Tuesday night, Oct. 14, in their first meeting since the council moved to a once-a-month schedule.
As per State Auditors’ request, two resolutions to better use the monies bequeathed to the cemetery fund have been introduced. These resolutions are necessary to properly account these funds for auditing purposes and to appropriately allow the cemetery to use the monies for improvements and expenses.
There will be two more readings of them; they are Resolution 2025-R12 and Resolution 2025-R13.
In addition, Resolution 2025-R14 has been created to allow the city to sell an older police cruiser that is no longer being used by the village. The 2008 Ford Explorer will be placed on the Govedeals site for sale.
Village Administrator Richard Ford suggested that the village pay off the $80,000 balance from their new garbage truck. In addition to that, the village decided to complete the payments for a $30,000 sewer loan.
Funds that were allotted for this year’s budget will be used to settle the two loans. The village will save over $10,000 in interest by taking that action.
The village will be working with Liberty Township to replace street signs that are difficult to see in the dark. A $40,000 Township Safety Grant will allow both the township and the village to receive new signs, but applications for the grant do not open until June of 2026.
The board of Heritage Cooperative is considering the easement to be used in the repair of the bridge on Columbus Street. “They are open to approving and working with the village to find the best agreement to move forward on the bridge improvements, and I am super appreciative. They are a wonderful and caring company,” Administrator Ford said.
With inflation currently running at 2.9 percent, the village employees will be getting around a 3 percent raise next year. Making a salary resolution, now, will allow the village to create a more effective budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year. It will also prevent the council from needing mid-year changes to monies allotted for next year.
“Since we’ve added Richard Ford as the Village Administrator, he has far surpassed his salary in the savings he has given to the village,” Council Member Jayne Griffith explained.
“We will save $4,000 a year cutting the meetings to once a month, alone,” Ford said. “But since I was hired in June, the village will have saved over $140,000 in a 12-month period of cost savings and interest.”
The village council convenes the third Tuesday of each month, with the next meetings taking place on Nov. 18 and Dec. 16.
Another important date to note is trick-or-treat, which is set for Oct. 23, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., the same evening as the Spooktacular event downtown in the village. The Halloween Spooktacular takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. along east Columbus Street, featuring a costume contest, a dog costume contest, inflatables, a photo booth, food trucks, free hot dogs, a teen glow dance party in the Opera House and spooky tunes by DJ Skelly.
