HOOVER –The Hoover City Council narrowly passed a $139 million budget for the coming fiscal year and a new salary schedule at its meeting on Monday, Sept. 17.

Both measures passed with a 4-3 vote.

The salary schedule was hailed by Mayor Frank V. Brocato as needed to make Hoover “the employer of choice” in the area.

The salary schedule will cost the city about $1.5 million and included salary increases for city employees along with increasing the maximum pay that can be earned in the future as step raises are realized.

Brocato said his goal for the budgeting process was to produce an “on-time, balanced budget,” make Hoover the employer of choice in the area, address public safety issues, enhance quality of life for residents and adopt a five-year vision for the city’s finances.

The mayor noted the budget was “heavily slanted toward public safety,” including the addition of four police officers, four school resource officers and eight firefighters.

“The city was built on the back of public safety,” Brocato said. “It’s a dangerous job, and I don’t want to be the one to put them in more danger.”

Brocato also said the city would continue to address traffic management, and department heads would be asked to develop five-year plans for their departments.

Councilman John Greene said he could not support the budget because he expected “more of a belt-tightening budget” with more expenses cut after the Council had been presented information about the city’s expenses outpacing income and subsequently approving tax increases.

Greene was then joined in voting against the budget by Councilmen John Lyda and Mike Shaw, but Curt Posey, Gene Smith, Derrick Murphy and Casey Middlebrooks voted in favor.