BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT) — Residents of Brookville Borough are facing a tax increase of 3.3 mills for 2017.
Borough manager Dana Shick presented the proposed budget to members of council at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Some of the increase, 0.8 mills, is for debt repayment of equipment that the Borough has bought in the last few years.
Council vice-president Phil Hynes, Chairman of the Finance Committee said the budget is bare bones.
“We went over it line item by line item,” Hynes said. “Unfortunately, we are looking at a tax increase of 2.5 mills and one for 0.8 mills for a debt repayment.”
“There will be no money for lifeguards at Walter Dick Park, no carport for the police department, no firearms for part-time police officers, no park improvements, street paving will be limited to what money is in the liquid fuels budget, street maintenance will be reduced and we didn’t buy a proposed skid steer motor.”
“I don’t know where else we can cut,” Hynes said.
According to Hynes, Brookville’s expenditures for 2017 are $2,105,000 and revenues, with the tax increase, at $2,150,375, leaving a budget surplus of a little more than $45,000.
Council President Pro-Tem Bill Kutz acknowledged he was glad he wasn’t on the Finance Committee while saying “I believe we should do it (tax increase) one mill at a time to soften the blow on the people that have to pay this tax.”
Mayor Richard Beck said he felt he was getting shorted on some of the emails between council members about the budget and other things.
Borough Solicitor James Dennison said all council members should include Beck in their emails.
Hynes asked his fellow council members to go over the budget and be prepared to vote on it at the next meeting, set for Tuesday, Nov. 29.
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