Butler’s 2023 proposed budget does not include a tax increase, even though the estimated expenses for the general fund are nearly $100,000 more than they were in the 2022 budget.

The total estimated expenses for 2023 come to $10,618,311, while the 2022 budget had expenses at $10,519,063. The estimated revenues match the expenses for the year, with city treasurer Aaron Bonus commenting at the end of the meeting that several tax revenues through October were up from the same time last year, with earned income tax being up 15%.

Butler City Council approved the first reading of the budget at Thursday’s meeting, and Councilman Don Shearer said city administrators were updating it up to the last second.

“We had some new revenue projections come in last night that freed up some more funds,” he said.

Council will review the budget for another vote at its next regular voting meeting in December.

Local resident Leanne Heaton donated $30,000 to the Butler Bureau of Police K9 fund, announcing at the meeting that a trust fund created in part by her father has allowed her to allocate donations to a number of charities.

Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy also addressed the sale of the Penn Theater. The council had voted to condemn the facility at its October voting meeting, and that condemnation is still in place until the code violations its structure presents have been addressed.

“Code violations, those go with the owner,” Dandoy said. “We have a lot of things to accomplish, but hopefully that will be taken care of by the end of the month.”

The council also announced the resignation of Bonus as treasurer, which will be effective Dec. 1, because Bonus is moving out of the city.

The council is now seeking applications from city residents who are also accountants to fill the position, and letters of interest will be accepted by the city addressed to Dandoy’s attention until Dec. 19.

“They have to be a certified tax collector, as well, that is a certification that they can get after they have been appointed,” Shearer said. “There are courses they can take through the state.”