Sewickley Heights' proposed 2026 budget contains no real estate tax increase

Sewickley Heights officials plan to hold the line on real estate taxes with their 2026 budget.

Council recently authorized the advertisement of next year’s proposed spending plan. It was to be posted by Dec. 1 at the borough office, 238 Country Club Road.

Formal budget adoption is set for Dec. 15.

Borough records indicate the millage rate may remain at 5.5 mills.

Proposed revenues and expenses were listed at about $2.64 million.

Projected income included about $1.59 million in real estate taxes, $814,000 in local enabling taxes, including earned income, $111,800 in departmental earnings, $76,400 in interest/rents/royalties, $29,400 in license/permits/fines, $21,650 in local/state shared revenues.

Projected spending includes about $1.13 million for public safety, $907,000 for general government, including salaries, supplies and insurances, $476,000 for parks and public works and $120,675 in miscellaneous expenditures.

Borough manager Nathan Briggs said the state budget impasse did not impact financial planning.

“Working on the budget is a yearlong endeavor — tracking casts versus expectations, finding savings where possible and anticipating operational changes in the coming year(s),” Briggs said via email. “The finance committee looks to borough management to be creative with sourcing vendors and service providers to make cost-effective choices to meet the needs of the community. We will be continuing the borough road program with some asphalt repairs and microsurfacing on borough roadways. Hopefully, we have positive news on grant awards so that the borough can address the landslide on Backbone Road.”

That roadway has been closed for more than a year as the borough continues to seek nearly $1 million in grants to fix it.

Landslides in mid-April 2024 caused significant damage to Backbone Road between Little Sewickley Creek Road and Grouse Lane in Bell Acres.

It has deteriorated further since, with portions of the road, including guide rails, spilling down the hillside and onto Little Sewickley Creek, a state road.

Sewickley Heights officials in October authorized an application for about $990,000 through the state Department of Community & Economic Development’s Local Share Account. No borough match is required.

It is the same grant the borough applied for in November 2024 and was not awarded.