Nesquehoning OKs budget with no tax increase

Nesquehoning residents will see a little hike in their sanitation bill next year, but will their taxes remain the same.

On Wednesday, borough council passed two motions regarding the 2020 sanitation budget, as well as the 2020 general budget. The sanitation budget called for a $10 a month increase. Councilman Michael Radocha cast the sole no vote regarding the rate increase.

Before the sanitation vote, council had a lengthy discussion about whether or not recycling was the culprit for the needed increase.

Councilman George Sabol, who has voiced his disapproval for the recycling because of the proposed increase, again raised his concerns.

“I was originally told we wouldn’t need to increase rates (when the contracts were being voted on),” Sabol said. “Evidently, something fell through the cracks (with the numbers council received to make sure enough money was available in the sanitation fund), because there isn’t enough money to cover the increase.”

Councilwoman Rosemary Porembo said that based on the figures at the time, it didn’t appear a rate increase would have been necessary, but stressed that the new garbage contract from Tamaqua Transfer increased $104,698 over the last contract. This doesn’t include the recycling, which was a separate contract.

“You can’t say honestly that the recycling costs pushed the budget higher,” she said. “No matter if there was or wasn’t recycling, we would still have to have an increase because we couldn’t meet the $104,000.”

Councilwoman Mary Fox agreed with Porembo.

“I don’t want to have to raise the rate either,” Fox said, “but like Rose said, the garbage from the last contract to this contract has gone up over $100,000 so we have to make that money up some place. I just want people to know the bill is not going up because of the recycling. It’s going up strictly on the garbage bill.”

Sabol questioned Fox because the recycling added to the deficit.

“If we didn’t vote for recycling, we would still have to have an increase but recycling did put it up a couple of bucks too,” he said.

Porembo agreed that there would have been a little more in the coffers, but still not nearly enough to not need a rate increase.

Porembo reminded residents that Nesquehoning borough is a town that recycles at this time and urged people to begin utilizing the program if they don’t already.

Council also said it will look at if recycling in the borough should continue in the future.

Until then, curbside pickup takes place twice a month. Upcoming pickups include Dec. 30 in Lake Hauto and Dec. 31 in the borough; and Jan. 13 and 27 in Lake Hauto and Jan. 14 and 28 in the borough. All recyclables should be cleaned out and placed in open containers or clear plastic bags and placed on the curb by 5 a.m. the day of pickup.

In other budget matters, Councilman Frank Jacobs said that the 2020 budget is balanced and the millage will remain 18.55.

The total budget comes out to $1,880,916.11 and will designate 1.75 mills for fire protection, 0.3 mills for recreation and 16.55 mills for the general fund.

“It’s going to be a tight budget and I think council is going to have to watch spending,” Jacobs told the board.

He said there have been some increases that are out of the borough’s control, including an approximately $40,000 hike in health care.

Porembo suggested council look at the budget monthly to see how the spending is going to keep a hand on things.

She also challenged the board to look at where they want to go moving forward in 2021 and find ways to put money toward revitalizing the town in a positive way.