Butler City Council has approved a resolution in support of having its members go through training hosted by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

Mayor Bob Dandoy said the idea came from resident Vincent Mikolay, who found the DCED offers training sessions for council members as well as financial aid to offset the cost of the training.

Dandoy said the Strategic Management Planning Program teaches public officials how to be better at their duties.

“They offer a program so basically you can get educated to do better as a municipal leader,” Dandoy said Friday, April 12. “We think it's a great opportunity.”

The resolution was approved Thursday, April 11.

The Strategic Management Planning Program trains municipal leaders in the development and implementation of multiyear financial management programs and strategies, according to the DCED’s website. The program also offers grants up to $200,000 for 50% of the program’s cost and requires a 50% match.

Dandoy said he is not yet sure when the training will take place, but he is hopeful the training can teach him and the rest of council how to better pursue goals they want to achieve for the city.

“Some things we think we can be doing better,” he said.

City officials also get to set their own goals for the training sessions, Dandoy said, and he and other council members will be speaking with DCED officials later this month to see what the Strategic Management Planning Program has to offer.

“We will meet with DCED representatives, look down the road to see what training, consulting they can do with us, then move forward,” Dandoy said. “Once we set up the curriculum, then we'll know what it's going to be like.”