Blawnox property owners might have to dig a little deeper in their wallets to pay real estate taxes as borough officials plan to hike rates about 10% next year.
Council voted 5-0 to advertise its 2023 preliminary budget and tax ordinance Nov. 9. Councilwomen Meghan Kennedy and Katie Specht-Coban were absent.
The tax rate is projected to rise one mill, from 9.85 mills to 10.85 mills.
The hike would mean a person with a $100,000 home would pay about $100 more in real estate taxes. The plan is expected to pass at council’s Dec. 13 meeting.
One mill is projected to generate about $44,000 in additional revenue for Blawnox.
Multiple messages to each council person went unanswered.
“We needed to raise (taxes) for the increase costs on all the utilities, services, wages,” Borough Manager Kathy Ulanowicz said.
“It was a difficult budget season,” Ulanowicz said. “t was hard for us to have to raise taxes in Blawnox. Nobody wanted to do that, but there wasn’t any way around it.”
The last time Blawnox raised taxes was in 2015. Millage went up then from 9.35 mills to 9.85 mills.
Projected revenues and expenditures are about $1.485 million, which is an estimated $80,000 increase in both categories from this year’s budget.
Income includes $752,000 in real estate taxes; $273,700 in Act 511 taxes such as earned income, local service and mechanical device taxes; $50,000 in intergovernmental funds; $25,100 in licenses and permits; $21,000 in charges for services; and $11,750 in fines.
Budget documents also list about $251,000 from other financing sources such as transfers from the water, sewer, refuse collection and capital funds.
Expenses include about $422,000 for police; $275,700 for public works; $230,000 for employee benefits; $113,000 for executive and general government, including administrative salaries, advertising and office supplies; $48,000 for engineering; $45,600 for fire service; $33,300 for accounting and financial administration; $20,150 for tax collection; $15,000 for legal services, $14,000 for parks and recreation; and $12,000 for information technology.
Ulanowicz said a couple projects being planned for next year include resealing the borough building to handle some water issues, and basketball court renovations at the community park.
Costs for both are still being evaluated, the manager said.
The proposed budget is available for review at the borough office, 376 Freeport Road.
It was also posted on the borough’s website under its finance section, blawnox.com.
Michael DiVittorio is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Michael at 412-871-2367, mdivittorio@triblive.com or via Twitter .
