Butler City Council on Thursday ratified a five-year contract with the union representing the 17 firefighters in the Bureau of Fire.

Council unanimously voted in favor of the contract, which the firefighters in the International Association of Firefighters Local 114 already approved.

The agreement replaces a two-year contract that expires at the end of this year and includes pay raises that decrease each year.

Firefighters will get a 3 percent raise in 2020, 2.5 percent in 2021, 2 percent in 2022, 1.5 percent in 2023 and 1 percent in 2024.

Other changes from the previous contract include raising the number of years of service required for retirement from 20 years to 25 years for firefighters hired after Jan. 1, 2020, and setting the minimum retirement age at 50 years for firefighters hired after the first of the year. Under the current contract, there is no minimum retirement age.

Mayor Ben Smith, former Councilman Corey Roche who resigned in August to accept a job in Florida, and Fire Chief Chris Switala negotiated the contract, but, Smith said, all council members had an opportunity for input during executive session meetings.

The fire department could have a new ladder truck next year.Council agreed to begin the process of entering into a 15-year lease for a new aerial truck with the first payment due in 2021.The previous ladder truck, a 1998 AM LaFrance Quint, was damaged while firefighters were battling a fire in March 2017 and was not repaired because parts were unavailable for it. Council sold it for $20,001 in October 2018.Switala said four ladder trucks were brought to the city for demonstrations and he traveled to trade shows to look at other trucks.The mayor said no money was allocated in the 2020 budget for lease payments because the first payment isn't due until 2021.The lease would be annually renewable and the city would own the truck at the end of the lease period, Switala said.

Council adopted a $9.47-million general fund budget, tax ordinance and salary ordinance and agreed to seek a tax revenue anticipation loan of $1 million.In addition to the general fund, the budget appropriates $1.98 million to the capital projects fund, $977,900 to the parking fund and $858,759 to the Liquid Fuels Tax fund.The tax ordinance maintains the current real estate tax rate of 43.25 mills and holds the line on other taxes.The salary ordinance sets salaries for employees not represented by unions.Council also approved permanent employment for police Patrol Officer Dakota J. Fennell effective Dec. 3 based on recommendation from his chain of command and completion of his probationary period.