Find Additional Money for Roads, Police

            East Greenville Borough Council decided Tuesday night to stick with a 2018 budget that maintains a tax reduction. Additional savings have also been identified in the $1.44 million budget. 

            According to Member Marita Thomson, borough officials expect to allocate an additional $11,000 to the road maintenance fund. During the special public meeting, she also said an additional $20,000 has been set aside to hire and outfit a part-time officer for the Borough of East Greenville Police Department.

            Some of the members expressed a concern over the lack of hours covered by the department, according to Thompson.  "Now we can have that conversation," she said after the meeting.

            Thompson, who chairs the borough's finance committee, combed through an updated budget with Manager Jim Fry and Secretary Sharon Kachmar. She said they felt comfortable transferring an additional $11,000 to the road maintenance fund from additional EIT and Local Service Tax revenues.  "Our estimates are very conservative," Thompson said after the meeting.

            The additional transfer will push the balance in the road maintenance fund to more than $148,000. Fry said that figure should allow borough officials to get quite a bit of work done. 

            The manager asked for a list of projects as soon as possible so they can bid out each one. He told the members that most contractors work on a first-come, first-serve basis.

            Initially, council President Angie Fegely and Member Joe Rock expressed a willingness to return the millage rate to 6.75 mills – the 2017 rate – which would have raised $31,000. However, municipal officials cast a unanimous vote to maintain the previously approved tax rate of 6.25 mills. They were advised by Solicitor Zachary Sivertsen that council members did not have to advertise the changes since they did not change the rate. According to Sivertsen, the members have the right to move money around as they see fit."

            After the vote Mayor Keith Gerhart thank the members for their effort.  "Everyone has input," he said.