No increase in real estate taxes while sewage rates soar in Baldwin Borough

Baldwin Borough leaders have held the line on real estate taxes for 2020. However, residents will be paying more for sewage in the new year.

Council members on Dec. 17 approved the borough’s 2020 spending plan that includes $12.8 million in the general fund, $6.8 million in the sewer fund, $573,282 in the highway aid fund, $163,000 in the swimming pool fund and $56,773 in the asset forfeiture fund.

Real estate taxes will remain at 6.78 mills for the second year. Property owners with a home valued at $100,000 will pay $678 in real estate taxes in Baldwin in 2020. One mill in Baldwin brings in about $940,000 in revenue.

However, sewage fees will increase from $11.52 per 1,000 gallons used to $12.52 per 1,000 gallons and a monthly sewage surcharge will increase from $6.75 to $14.75.

The increase accounts for a seven percent raise in rates passed along from ALCOSAN, said borough manager Bob Firek. It also helps pay for past and future sewage projects in the borough.

“Council worked really hard to keep taxes down,” Firek said. “But the sewage, unfortunately, had to get raised. We haven’t raised our sewage rates in years and unfortunately, we had to this year. We’re trying to keep it as low as we can.”

About two-thirds of Baldwin is located in the ALCOSAN sanitary sewer system, while one-third of the borough is located in the Pleasant Hills Authority sanitary sewer system.

Both are under requirements from the state Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce the amount of groundwater that enters the system, Firek said.

The increased sewage rates in Baldwin will help fund future projects like a regionalization requirement, Firek said. It also will help pay debt service on past projects in the borough, including the building of an equalization tank in Colewood Park and a sanitary sewer line replacement on Gardenville Road.

“We’ve spent between $13 and $15 million on sewer projects in the last several years and now they’re all coming due,” Firek said.

Expenses in the general fund remained mostly the same for 2020, Firek said.

The borough will start design work on Phase III of Elm Leaf Park upgrades in 2020, after recently receiving a grant for the project.

Phase II of the Elm Leaf Park project will be completed in 2020. That will include upgrades to the basketball courts, additional handicap parking and improvements to the parking lot.