The city’s 2008 budget was passed Monday night in City Council with two more last-minute additions.

Aldermen approved a $130,000 addition to fund a second new ambulance for the fire department. The Finance and Personnel Committee already added $130,000 to purchase one while the budget was being debated in committee.

They also approved $50,000 to spend on aldermanic consultant services, outside legal counsel and lobbying efforts; the money was redirected from Mayor Larry Morrissey’s proposal to fund city lobbying contracts.

The additions, brought to the floor by Ald. Nancy Johnson, D-8, were opposed by Morrissey and several aldermen.

“I believe that throughout this country, we see that there are definite financial concerns,” said Ald. Linda McNeely, D-13. “We’re facing uncertain financial times, and yet we sit here with items in the budget I have serious reservations about.”

Ald. Pat Curran, R-2, agreed. He has long argued that additions should be made in the fall budget addition process when the city would have a better idea how flexible revenue streams, like the sales tax, were performing.

“It’s nice to say we’ll fund this and this, but can someone tell me where the money is going to come from?” he said.

McNeely, Curran, Ald. Doug Mark, R-3, and Ald. John Beck, R-12, voted against the additions, which had enough votes for approval. Only McNeely, however, voted against the budget’s ultimate passage.

The $207 million 2008 budget maintains city services and forecasts a 4-percent drop in the city’s property-tax rate. The city makes up about a quarter of a typical Rockford property owner’s tax bill.

Morrissey said he was happy the budget process was done, but was critical of the sudden additions made after discussions in the party caucus meetings.

“We’re expecting our costs for our snow removal to double what we typically pay, millions of dollars more,” he said. “At a time where we’re trying to deal with costs like that and adding to it, despite a downturn of the economy, it just doesn’t seem prudent to do things somewhat last-minute.”

Staff writer Sean F. Driscoll can be reached at 815-987-1410 or sdriscoll@rrstar.com.