Lehighton eyes half-mill increase, rejects hike for fire department

In a reversal of plans, Lehighton residents will likely see a tax increase this year.

However, a motion to add a half mill to the capital reserve for the fire company was rebuffed during a special meeting of borough council on Wednesday.

At its reorganization meeting last week, council agreed to reopen the 2018 budget to re-evaluate the millage rates several weeks after the previous council adopted the spending plan without a tax increase.

The request was initiated by Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky, who won her first term in office this past November.

Initially, council deadlocked 3-3 to approve that request, with Councilman Joe Flickinger, Councilwoman Lisa Perry and Abelovsky in favor, and Councilmen Ryan Saunders and Jared McEvoy, along with council President Grant Hunsicker opposed. Councilman Darryl Arner was absent at that meeting.

In his capacity as mayor, Clark Ritter broke the tiebreaker by agreeing to reopen budget discussions.

Abelovsky praised borough Manager Nicole Beckett, for doing “a wonderful job.”

She then deferred to Beckett’s budget presentation in November, at which time she recommended long-term planning for capital improvements.

Abelovsky then suggested council add a half-mill increase for long-term planning, as well as a half-mill increase for equipment for the fire company.

Flickinger agreed, and said he believes the borough needs to start looking at the future.

Abelovsky said that while she was campaigning for a seat on council before being elected, she hit the streets to hear what the residents had to say.

“The majority of people said ‘we want to see change,’ ” Abelovsky said.

She said improvements suggested were street paving, demolition of blighted properties and security systems.

Perry said she agreed with Abelovsky.

However, McEvoy said he believes council needs to look at where the borough’s money is going before it decides to raise taxes, and that council would be better off reserving a tax increase for another time, and making some adjustments.

Beckett noted that the borough has a lengthy list of needed capital projects.

Arner said he believes council should re-evaluate its spending, but that it should keep this year’s budget the way it is.

Beckett reiterated her stance to council.

“It would be feasible to come up with capital reserves,” she said. “Capital reserves is a good practice.”

The votes

A motion for a half-mill increase for the general fund capital reserve passed on a 4-3 vote, with Abelovsky, Flickinger, Perry and Saunders in favor, and McEvoy, Arner and Hunsicker opposed.

That would raise the millage rate from 7.5 to 8.0 mills, which would mean a homeowner with a home assessed at $50,000 would pay $400, or $25 more, to the borough this year in property taxes.

A motion for a half-mill increase for the capital reserve for fire company equipment was defeated by a 4-3 vote, with McEvoy, Arner, Hunsicker and Saunders opposed, and Abelovsky, Flickinger and Perry in favor.

Hunsicker said that though he voted against the measure, he isn’t against the fire company buying new equipment.

Council then agreed to advertise the new tax levy ordinance and budget, to be voted on when it meets Jan. 22.

Prior approval

The previous council — which included former council members Scott Rehrig and Helen Torok — last month unanimously agreed to adopt the 2018 budget with no tax increase.

That decision to approve this year’s $4,543,504 spending plan would have left the millage rate in check at 7.5 mills, which would have meant a homeowner with a home assessed at $50,000 would again pay $375 to the borough next year in property taxes.

Last month, Beckett met with all department heads, and as a result, the borough was able to come up with $53,636 in budget cuts.

As part of that, the borough was able to trim $25,500 from the police department ($20,000 of which is to eliminate the part-time police roster); $7,500 from administration; $7,000 from recreation; $6,500 from public works; $2,500 from employee benefits; $2,000 from the borough annex; $1,636 from the fire department; and $1,000 from emergency management.

Beckett said at that time $218,450 was needed to balance next year’s budget.

On a 5-2 vote, council at a special meeting in December, agreed to take $178,450, or 2.17 mills, from the borough’s electric fund, to balance the budget.

Also at that meeting, council decided against additional millage for the fire department.

That decision came after fire Chief Patrick Mriss at a special meeting in November said the department needed apparatus replacement.

The four pieces of equipment discussed at that meeting were Engines 512 and 514, Ladder 523 and Rescue 551.

In 2001, council increased real estate taxes by a half-mill of real estate to fund future fire equipment purchases. However, equipment prices have significantly increased since then.

Taxes were last raised in 2014, when council approved a 1-mill increase.