If Upper Burrell’s budget for 2025 is approved, property owners would only see about a dollar increase annually.
That’s due to a proposed 1-mill increase through the township’s fire hydrant tax. As proposed, it would increase from 2 mills to 3 mills.
Township officials are seeking the increase to cover adjusted higher rates from the Municipal Authority of the City of New Kensington, said Supervisors Chairman Ross G. Walker III.
“It translates to a dollar a year,” he said.
“It’s strictly for the maintenance of the lines, which everybody pays. It’s a separate fee.”
The fire hydrant tax is a separate entity from the township’s general real estate millage, which would remain unchanged at 12 mills, Walker said.
One mill from general real estate generates about $41,000 in revenue for Upper Burrell.
As proposed, the 2025 budget is about $10,000 less than this year’s current budget. Township Secretary Melissa Cortileso said there were not many changes from 2024 to 2025 in revenues, but she had decreased some areas because the township is not reaching the anticipated amount.
One of the decreases, she said, comes from the township’s share of Act 13 Impact Fees for unconventional gas well drilling. She said she had budgeted $105,000 for Act 13 fees but the township only got about $61,000. She set the anticipated 2025 amount to $52,000.
The proposed budget for 2025 is about $1,239,970; this year’s budget totals $1,249,985.
Proposed 2025 expenses are “normal,” Cortileso said, with increases for health care and wages, accounting software, and solicitor and zoning legal fees because “we’ve just been that busy,” she said.
Public safety
The proposed budget accounts for three full-time police officers. Upper Burrell currently has two full-time officers.
Walker said the township probably is working toward an Act 600 program with its police department, meaning it would go from a defined contribution plan to a defined benefit pension plan, “which traditionally is a great increase in cost to the township.”
“But, the way that we’re doing it, the timing of it right now, with our chief possibly thinking about retirement in five years, it might be the ideal time to do it,” he said. “And whenever you have three full-time officers, you have to be in the Act 600, and part of the Act 600 means you’re switching from defined contribution to defined benefit.”
Doing so would not place a burden on taxpayers, Walker said.
The proposal also allocates $92,000 for public safety and fire, including a $20,000 direct contribution to the township’s volunteer fire department.
Supervisors are expected to authorize advertising the proposed 2025 budget at a meeting Nov. 6.
Final adoption of the budget is slated during a meeting Dec. 4.
“It’s a judicial use of taxpayer funds,” Walker said of the proposed budget. “We’re trying to get the best bang for our buck always.”