Blawnox property owners will not have to pay more in borough real estate taxes next year.
Council unanimously voted Dec. 11 to pass its 2025 budget and maintain the tax rate at 10.85 mills.
Garbage collection fees also remained the same.
Council raised taxes by 1 mill for the 2023 budget.
There were no major changes to next year’s spending plan from its draft form in November.
Projected revenues and expenses were listed at about $1.65 million.
Expected income includes about $830,000 in real estate taxes, $316,000 in Act 511 taxes including earned income and local service tax, $130,000 from the sewer fund, $56,000 in intergovernmental funds, $48,300 in interest and rents, $27,100 in licenses and permits, $26,300 in charges for service and $8,750 in fines.
Projected spending includes $309,000 for public works, $186,000 for employee benefits, $173,400 for debt service, $44,000 for government building, $23,000 for tax collection, $22,000 for engineering, $20,500 for parks and recreation, and $20,000 for legal services.
Council President Deborah Laskey said the plan addresses the needs of the community without creating additional financial burdens to its residents.
“We’re going to keep watching over our numbers, making sure we’re keeping things under budget as best we can,” Laskey said after the meeting. “Watch the bottom line. We’re trying very hard. We know the community. We feel their pain. We’re in it, too. All the charges are the same for them as it is for us, and we’re trying our best to keep costs down. There’s things that need to be taken care of.”
The borough budgeted $150,000 for paving with plans to repair North Avenue from Walnut Street to Woodlawn Road.
Blawnox also allocated $42,500 for a social worker. O’Hara is expected to kick in the same amount to hire someone full time to provide additional services to Blawnox in the wake of its police department changeover.
Blawnox and O’Hara councils recently approved an agreement to have borough officers join the township force starting Jan. 1.
The intergovernmental agreement was done in an effort to boost manpower and coverage.
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Blawnox’s three full-time officers, including Chief Patrick Goodman, will become township police.
Blawnox is projected to pay about $459,300 to O’Hara next year as part of the deal.
The social worker search is expected to begin sometime in March.
Borough Manager Kathy Ulanowicz said there were no changes to the budget from what originally was presented last month.
“We do take our time to try to make sure the budget we present to borough council from the finance committee and (the administration) is something we’re able to follow in the following year,” Ulanowicz said.
“There aren’t going to be too many changes. We try to craft it so that what’s in the budget is something that is really going to be able to be done. Our borough council would like to do what’s best for the community, and so would I and our finance committee knows that. Paving is always a big issue. We try to do that. That’s already in there. We’re trying to get some grants so we can replace water lines.”
Water/sewage
Water and sewage bills are expected to increase in the coming year.
Water service is through the Fox Chapel Water Authority while sewage service is through Alcosan.
The borough bills residents quarterly.
Water rates will go from $11.99 per 1,000 gallons, with a $35.97 minimum charge, to $13 per 1,000 gallons and a $39 minimum charge.
Sewer rates will go from $12.94 per 1,000 gallons to $13.85 per 1,000 gallons.
The quarterly per-bill fee from Alcosan also will increase from $23.41 to $25.05.