No tax hike planned for Weatherly

Weatherly Borough Council has proposed a 2019 budget which keeps real estate taxes level with 2018.

Council voted 6-0 Monday night, with Norman Richie absent, to advertise their 2019 budget.

The budget is available for inspection

During the meeting, Mayor and Council President Tom Connors asked council if they would like to add an ambulance tax to help the struggling Weatherly Community Ambulance, or if they want to hold off until a joint stakeholder committee representing the borough and three surrounding townships come up with a recommendation to help the ambulance.

“We are trying to form a committee with the other township, and if you feel it’s best to wait, that’s fine,” Connors said.

Councilman Harold Farrow said he would like to hear from the committee first.

The new budget will keep the borough’s real estate tax rate at 6.3 mills. The property tax rate for Weatherly Area School District, which is set by the district’s school board, has yet to be finalized.

The borough’s general fund expenditures are expected to rise by 2 percent to $1.462 million.

Electric, water and sewer fund expenses are expected to be almost identical to 2018. The electric fund budget is $2,806,883, the water fund budget is $401,514, and the sewer fund is $636,278.

The liquid fuels budget, which is used for road projects in the borough, is $91,552.

Borough Manager Harold Pudliner said there are no major changes from the 2018 budget.