Charleroi council approves preliminary budget with slight tax increase
CHARLEROI – Borough residents are likely to face a small tax increase next year.
On Wednesday, council members agreed to advertise a preliminary $2.6 million budget for 2020 that raises taxes .6 mills. That amounts to an additional $25 for a home that is assessed at $50,000.
The budget includes a 4% increase to the borough’s contribution to the Charleroi Regional Police Department’s budget.
Council member Jeannine Motycki, who also serves as chair of the finance committee, thanked fellow council members, Solicitor Steve Toprani and accounting consultant Denise Nusida for helping to pare down the budget.
“We carefully reviewed all our projected expenses and decreased several line items,” said Motycki. “That puts us in a good position to address some key upcoming projects, including road repairs.”
Motycki said the borough is ending the 2019 fiscal year with a surplus of $555.
Council will vote on the borough’s final budget during a special meeting on Dec. 23 at 6 p.m.
In other business, the council:
n Decided to schedule a drive-through in Charleroi next month to determine which streets should get top priority for road repaving in 2020. To save money, council is considering only paving the middle of streets.
n Agreed to authorize the borough secretary to handle payroll using QuickBooks software. Motycki said this change will help save money for the borough.
n Approved a 2% salary increase for the borough’s secretary and meter enforcement officer.