Property owners in Lower Burrell likely won’t be paying more in city taxes next year.
Council on Monday approved a proposed budget that would set the city’s 2025 millage rate at 24.75 mills, the same rate as this year.
It would be the fourth consecutive year without a tax increase, city Manager Greg Primm said.
That means a property with the city’s median assessed value of $20,389 would continue to pay $504 annually for city taxes, or $42 monthly.
The proposed budget totals just over $12 million. It includes$7.5 million in the general fund, $3.8 million in the sewer fund and a little more than $700,000 in liquid fuels.
It allots $2.6 million for the public affairs department, $2.5 million for accounts and finance, a little more than $600,000 for public safety, and just over $900,000 each for the streets department and parks department.
Tentative public works projects planned for 2025 include chip sealing for Chicago, New York, Broadway, Wells, Wills, Atlantic and Pacific avenues; Zane, Pittsburgh, Pike, Fayette and Pacmil streets; the unpaved portion of Hill Street; Trailer Boulevard; Silvermoon, Fairview and Lori drives; and Dugan Way. It’s a total of 46,690 square yards of chip seal.
“This is a pretty aggressive seal-coating program, and I’m pretty happy we were able to make it fit into the budget this year,” Primm said.
Other capital projects include stormwater line replacements on Wayne Street, Sylvan Drive and Carl Avenue; storm pipelining and a manhole installation on Valleyview Drive; and storm pipelining and a new basin and stormline installation on Rodgers Drive.
A grant application has been submitted for the Wayne Street project. Those projects also are included in the proposed budget in case grant funding does not materialize, Primm said. For public affairs, the proposal calls for $68,000 for a new police cruiser and its upfit, and $65,000 for IT hardware and software support.
The proposed budget continues a $105,000 contractual obligation to the city’s fire departments and $90,000 in additional fire department support with gas royalty money. It also keeps its $88,000 allocation for EMS.
Regarding parks, the proposal eyes $80,000 for HVAC, air conditioning and other improvements at Burrell Lake Park’s Fisher Hall; $20,000 to renovate the former tax office; $24,000 for management at Burrell Lake Park; $35,000 for the public library; $270,000 for city recycling; and $50,000 for new park equipment at Braeview Fireman’s Park.
The $35,000 allotted for the library is an increase from previous years.
The park equipment replaces old equipment the city removed earlier this year because it was unsafe, Primm said. The city also will pursue grant funding for the equipment, he said.
“We did assure people it was our intent to put the equipment back up there again, and I just want to make sure everybody’s aware that there is money placed in the budget,” he said.
In the sewer department, $150,000 is budgeted for a sewer line extension on Glenmore Street; $175,000 for pump station maintenance and its contract; $840,000 for debt obligations, which is the city’s PENNVEST loans; and $2.2 million for treatment obligations with the Municipal Authority of New Kensington.
Council thanked Primm for his work drafting the propsed budget and holding the line on taxes.
“We’re working together as a team because we just couldn’t do this by ourselves,” Councilman Mike Stanoski said.
The proposed budget will be advertised Nov. 8 for public inspection at City Hall, 115 Schreiber St., where it will be on display for 10 days.
Final adoption is expected during council’s meeting Dec. 9.