ORWIGSBURG — Taxes are going up 1 mill in the borough for 2017.
On Wednesday, the borough council voted 4-2 for a budget that includes a 1-mill tax hike, bringing the tax rate to 6 mills. One mill will generate $62,500 in revenue for the borough. The increase equates to an extra $4.52 a month for the average taxpayer. Councilman Brian Baldwin and council President Buddy Touchinsky voted against the 1-mill increase. All other council members voted “yes.”
“This ensures that we don’t have 24/7 police coverage,” Touchinsky said.
There was a motion for a 2-mill tax hike that did not receive a second. A 2-mill increase would have provided funding for a new police officer.
“The 6-mill budget does not hire a new officer until Stan (Brozana, Orwigsburg police chief) retires,” Borough Manager Robert Williams said.
Williams had previously said “the numbers don’t lie” numerous times to the council during the meeting. He said the 6-mill budget is “not realistic. We spend more than 6 mills a year.”
He agreed the increase is tough on the residents.
“We can’t move this community forward,” he said.
A note on the agenda about the budget said the general fund has been “chronically underfunded.” It also said the budget with a 7-mill rate would provide funding for a full-time police officer in an effort to provide 24/7 coverage to the department. The state police cover the borough when the Orwigsburg police are not on duty. Resident Kerry Mariano said the council would likely regret not having 24/7 coverage.
Councilman Darle Cresswell said the police do a great job but could not justify increasing the millage rate by 2 mills.
Williams said his job as borough manager is to tell the council about the reality the borough finds itself in.
“Whatever the vote is, you run this town,” he said.
Touchinsky said early in the evening he “didn’t want to raise taxes on anyone,” but that is not the reality in the borough.
Solicitor Paul Datte reminded the council they had to have a balanced budget by law.
A woman in attendance said she realizes the situation the borough is in but increases hurt those on fixed incomes.
“If you need to raise, do it conservatively,” she said.
After the budget discussion, Touchinsky mentioned that council members could donate their annual paychecks to the general fund to use for needed services such as police. The vote passed unanimously but council members could notify Williams if they wished not to take the amount. Council members receive $1,200 a year while the council president gets $1,500.
In other matters, a familiar face rejoined the borough council. Michele Rudloff was voted in to take the seat previously held by Ed Mady, who recently moved out of the borough. She will serve until Dec. 30, 2017, and said she plans to run again. Before the 3-3 vote that was broken by Mayor Barry Berger, who votes in the case of a tie, Bill Knecht, Mariano, John Fenstermacher and Matt Baran — in addition to Rudloff — had stated their interest in the position. Baldwin nominated Rudloff, councilwoman Angela Hoptak-Solga nominated Knecht and Cresswell nominated Fenstermacher, who declined the nomination. Since Rudloff was nominated first, the vote was first for her.
The collective bargaining agreement between the borough and the police was approved Wednesday. It’s effective Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2019. Retiree medical payments, previously $500 a month, were eliminated; sick leave was reduced from 15 days a year to 10; and vacation time was reduced to a maximum of four weeks from up to six weeks.
Veterans Day was added as a holiday. The new contract calls for a 3 percent salary increase per year, adjusted longevity pay and added short-term disability.
Council meetings will continue to be held on the first and second Wednesday of each month.