By MACKENZEE SIMMS | Staff Writer

PELHAM – The Pelham City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2025 budget at a city council meeting on Monday, Sept. 16. The budget features $90.6 million in estimated revenues and $69 million in estimated expenditures.

After the proposed budget for FY25 was presented at the last council meeting on Sept. 4, council members and citizens had the opportunity to review the budget and ask questions.

In her report, Pelham City Manager Gretchen DiFante took a moment to thank all of the citizen’s that reached out to ask questions about the budget.

“I did get up a couple weeks ago and make a plea to people—to the public—about if you have questions about the budget, please come and ask us your questions,” DiFante said. “I just wanted to take a moment to thank the handful of citizens who took the time to email, to call and even to come to meet with staff at city hall and ask questions about the budget.”

According to DiFante, the staff from the city of Pelham relished the opportunity to have long, productive conversations with residents.

“We really appreciate it, and it’s rewarding to us,” DiFante said. “Your local government staff is just like employees at your doctor’s office, your grocery stores, your auto mechanic shops and your restaurants. We work hard and are proud of what we do and truly enjoy sharing that with our customers. To those of you who did take time to ask us questions and come in and talk to us, thank you.”

The FY25 budget features an estimated $90,614,381 in revenues from sources such as taxes, fines, sales of licenses and permits and more. Meanwhile, the city expects to spend a total of $69,090,630 through the cost of daily operations and special projects.

According to the 2025 Budget Brief, the city of Pelham defined its budget priorities to include traffic management, emergency medical transport, city technology, infrastructure investments, annual expenses, as well as investments in Pelham’s parks, library, and city staff.

Following those priorities, some of the new special projects scheduled this year include:

-Annual city-wide paving and resurfacing, $1.25 million

-Widening of Highway 52, $2.5 million

-Traffic signal updates at 10 intersections, $550,000

-Paving of new parking lot and sidewalks at the Pelham Civic Center, $800,000

-Lighting on Hwy 31 corridor, $1,100,000

-Construction of additional sidewalk at Pelham City Park for ADA accessibility, $30,000

-Construction of 2 new pavilions next to playground and splash pad, $100,000

-Construction of a multi-purpose soccer/street hockey rink, $225,000

-Addition of two new pickleball courts to the senior center, $150,000

-Construction of batting cage facility and restrooms at City Park

-Repairs of concrete porch at the Racquet Club

-Ballantrae Clubhouse interior renovations, $60,000

-Replacing roofing at Ballantrae, $33,000

Those interested in learning more about Pelham’s FY25 budget can visit Pelhamalabama.gov/DocumentCenter/View/20330/Pelham-Budget-Fiscal-Year-2025-PDF?bidId=