The holiday mood was warm in Bath Borough Council chambers last Thursday night as council officials held a special meeting Dec. 20 to finalize the 2013 budget.

Holiday greetings were shared as council members arrived. Bath Borough Manager Thomas Petrucci, bearing gifts, presented a blue holiday bag to the council members. Holiday cookies were distributed by Councilwoman Kathryn Roberts. The festive holiday mood and the need to finalize the 2013 budget were driving a need to finish business early.

The proposed 2013 Bath Borough budget amounts to $1,667,276.87 and includes a real estate tax rate of 13.5 mills.

The real estate tax rate of 13.5 mills was approved by a 5 to 2 vote. The "yes" votes came from Council President Robert Fields, Councilwomen Carol Bear-Heckman, Jennifer George and Kathryn Roberts and Councilman John Kearns. Council Vice President Mark Saginario and Councilman Michael Reph cast the dissenting votes.

Another motion was approved to pass the $1.6 million budget, with the same council members voting 5 to 2. In 10 minutes the special meeting on the 2013 budget adjourned.

After the meeting, Petrucci said 1 mill was going to be dedicated to fixing the roads in the borough.

According to Petrucci, a Road Condition Survey determined that "to reengineer every road in the borough it would come to a cost of $4.5 million dollars." The Road Condition Survey provides a rating on the road condition and determines repairs.

Petrucci said it is "clear the funds are not enough to do the work." He referred to the 1 mill amounting to $48,000 of the total property tax revenue.

"Council's long term view is to keep maintaining the roads in good condition," he said.

Councilman John Kearns noted a prospective "matching federal grant" may be available to assist the borough with the road repairs.

Saginario explained he did not vote against the budget or the road repairs.

"I oppose raising taxes on the taxpayers to fix the roads," he said. "We need to balance it [budget] by cutting the fat from the budget."

Reph, who voted against the 13.5 mill tax and the budget, expressed similar sentiments.

"I am upset; eliminate the $1,000 clam-bake-fund from the budget," he said.

Reph previously asked borough colleagues to cut the miscellaneous line item that is used by council members for "lobster and steak dinners" throughout the year.

During the budget preparation last month, Reph made a motion to cut the miscellaneous account from the budget, but the motion failed to receive a second vote from the floor.

According to Reph, an additional $5,000 was given to the Bath Business and Community Partnership.

"I don't feel the taxpayers have to sacrifice more of their money. We need to make cuts from our own budget and sacrifice the pet projects," he said.

In regard to the road repairs, Fields commented, "We have to do what we can afford and what [roads] can be saved right away."

Road repairs are projected to start in the spring of 2013.