Roanoke Rapids’ budget picture for the upcoming fiscal year should be stable, City Manager Joseph Scherer said following tonight’s council meeting.

Council unanimously OK’d the budget calendar for the upcoming process that begins on January 4 and ends on June 11 with the budget ordinance presented to council for final review and adoption.

“I think we are stable,” Scherer said after the meeting, “which will allow for a better planning session. The theater seems to be moving forward.”

The city goes into the budget planning sessions coming off a fiscally strong audit. Throughout January and February department heads will prepare budget requests while the city manager and finance director will prepare departmental salaries, benefits and debt payments as well as general fund revenue estimates.

Throughout March budget requests will be turned in and departmental budget conferences are scheduled before revisions are made on March 25.

The budget will be presented to council on April 9 and a public hearing will be held on May 14.

In other matters tonight council:

Approved a $36,332 budget amendment to give Christmas bonuses to city employees. The $250 bonus will be given to full and permanent part-time employees hired on or before June 30.

Approved a $20,000 budget amendment for the police department for $20,000 in drug forfeiture funds, which police Chief Jeff Hinton said would be used to buy equipment.

Approved a 40-unit senior citizen housing complex on Becker Drive. The complex represents a $5 million investment. Weaver-Kirkland Housing requested a conditional use permit for the project called River Town Manor, which will be located on five acres of land on the north side of Becker Drive between Tenth Street and Georgia Avenue.