Ashland City Council had the second public hearing Tuesday night for the 2013 budget appropriations.
 

Mayor Glen Stewart said the city is working with a tight budget this year.

"The economy is not in a situation that is allowing for additional income to flow into the city tx base. There's been a slight reduction in the income from real estate tax and there's been a reduction in state funding for the city," Stewart said.

"The reduction in state funding is not significant from last year but it's lower than it was two years ago. "We're having a more difficult time making that up in certain areas," Stewart said.

Council is expected to vote on the appropriations at its March 19 meeting.
  

In other business, council approved legislation to sell vacant land in the Ashland Business Park to the Community Improvement Corporation for the  expansion of a local business.

Council also continued discussions about the Ohio Department of Transportation District 3 office proposed project to improve the interchange between U.S. 42 and U.S. 250.
 

There are three options for the proposed improvement that will cost an estimated $9 million each.

Mayor Stewart plans to meet with ODOT to discuss the concerns of some business owners in the Ashland Business Park and the trucking industry about a proposal to replace the bridge over U.S. 250 with an at-grade intersection and traffic signal.