Bethlehem City Council passed several bills that make up the proposed 2022 budget Dec. 7. Passing the bills is part of the process for the proposed budget, which will be approved later in the month.

The total budget will be $94.75 million, according to Budget and Finance Director Mark Sivak.

Sivak said the budget has no tax or fee increases over last year. He said Northampton County’s millage rate will be 19.14 mils and the rate for Lehigh County will be 6.05 mils. These tax or millage rates are for each dollar of assessed property value.

Bethlehem’s city limits overlap the two counties.

Sival also said the budget includes unspecified debt reductions for the city.

The almost $95 million budget will be spread out through the various city departments, including $237,150 allocated to council for “personal services, materials and supplies, purchase of services, and equipment.”

The mayor’s office will get $303,000 for expenses in the same categories.

The Department of Administration gets $2,081,368 while the Department of Community and Economic Development is allocated $13,117,490.

The Department of Public Works get a $10,687,649 share and the Department of Police gets $17,091,810. The Fire Department is slated for $12,305,338.

A bill, the Responsible Contractor Ordinance and associated amendment, were withdrawn from the agenda by the administration for further review. The amendment is titled, “Adding a strong incentive for apprenticeship programs while not disqualifying all others.”

The conundrum is how to encourage construction companies competing for city business to have trade apprentice programs while at the same time not disqualifying companies that do not currently have such programs.

Resident Bryan McCrickerd, who described himself as a disabled Army veteran. spoke from his wheelchair and asked the city to make available handicap practice athletic fields accessible where he and fellow handicapped people can practice for such sports as the “Golden Age Games.”

According to its website, “The National Veterans Golden Age Games is the premier senior adaptive rehabilitation program in the United States, and the only national multi-event sports and recreational seniors’ competition program designed to improve the quality of life for all older Veterans, including those with a wide range of abilities and disabilities.”

“We need to start thinking about it,” said McCrickerd.

This theme was echoed when Shawna Knipper complained that handicapped parking, according to her, requires both a state-issued permit and a city-issued permit.

“I can’t jump through hoops that have been created unnecessarily,” said Knipper.