Plum's proposed 2020 budget includes vehicle purchases, no tax hike

Plum officials plan to hold the line on property taxes and lease several police and public works vehicles as part of next year’s budget.

Council voted 5-0 at this month’s meeting to advertise its 2020 spending plan.

Councilmen John Anderson and Mike Pastor were absent.

Taxes were raised in 2016 by one mill to fund road paving projects and bolster emergency medical services. The current rate is 4.78 mills.

Proposed budget documents list revenues at about $13.363 million and expenses at $13.307 million, a $56,000 surplus. The borough has about $4.2 million in reserves.

“We budget conservatively,” borough Manager Michael Thomas said. “We underestimate revenues and overestimate expenses to the extent possible. We give ourselves a little bit of cushion and have safeguards in place should something catastrophic should happen … We’re doing what we need to do and not wastefully spending money.”

Projected revenues include about $4.26 million in real estate taxes, $782,000 in licenses and permits, $60,000 in fines and forfeits, $1.3 million in intergovernmental monies and $2.246 million in municipal services.

Projected expenses include $1.3 million for administration, $5.18 million for police, $614,000 for planning and zoning, $388,000 for winter maintenance and $490,000 for recreation.

Budget documents also indicate the borough will lease three 2020 Ford Explorers and a golf cart for the police department as well as a new Ford F-150 and Ford F-550 flatbed truck among other capital equipment purchases.

Logans Ferry Park and Renton Park are projected to receive $225,000 in upgrades next year.

Paving is estimated around $1.2 million, about the same as this year.

The proposed budget is available for review at the borough office, 4575 New Texas Road. It is expected to be adopted at the Dec. 9 meeting.