Charleston's finance committee chairman called a budget draft that will be voted on Tuesday "modest."
Bobby Reishman, the City Council's finance committee chairman, said after a city council meeting Monday that he expects the proposed 2017-2018 fiscal year budget to be passed during a special session at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
The budget is up more than $1.6 million from this year, with most expenditures going towards resolving health care claims. Most of those claims were filed by retired employees, according to City Manager David Molgaard.
A bill was introduced during the meeting that would rezone a parcel of land owned by the Charleston Area Medical Center. The parcel, located at 1201 Washington St. E., currently is zoned as a residential-office district. If the bill, introduced by Ward 9 Councilwoman Mary Beth Hoover, is approved it would be changed to a general commercial district.
The council also unanimously appointed At-Large Councilwoman Becky Ceperley to the Charleston Urban Renewal Authority. Andrew Gunnoe, Kanawha deputy county manager and fiduciary supervisor, and Lisa Fischer Casto, owner of The Art Store, also were unanimously appointed to the Municipal Planning Commission.