Leechburg’s 2026 budget calls for no tax increase.

The budget includes more than $1.46 million in expenditures with just over $1.34 million in revenue. The gap will be filled by using a portion of a $145,000 surplus from this year’s budget.

“There’s no millage increase,” said council member and finance chair DJ Zelczak.

The budget calls for the borough’s real estate tax rate to remain at 22.5 mills, with residents owning property with an assessed median value of $32,600 continuing to pay about $734.

The majority of revenue will come from real estate, earned income, property and local service taxes. Total collections are expected to bring in almost $830,000.

New revenue is expected from an increased skill games tax that was passed during council’s November voting meeting.

Councilman Chuck Pascal said the borough’s mechanical device tax will remain at $100, but the subset of skill games will be increased to a $300 annual tax. Mechanical devices include things such as coin-operated pool tables, pinball machines and juke boxes. Skill games are a subcategory of mechanical devices where users can win some form of money from the slot machine-like games.

“We have a lot of (skill games) in the borough,” Pascal said.

He said there are 50 to 60 machines of that type in Leechburg, scattered throughout bars and clubs.

Pascal said there are also skill games in Sprankle’s grocery store and a vape and tobacco shop, as well as a skills game lounge called Mickey’s Quick Shop on Market Street.

“We realized other communities were charging more than we were for them,” Pascal said.

Pascal said the last time the tax was increased was in 2009.

Council considered tax amounts charged in Ford City, Vandergrift and New Kensington, he said, when deciding how much of an increase to impose.

Machine owners will see the new tax amount on their January tax bills.

Notable expenditures in the budget include almost $260,000 dedicated to public works and nearly $350,000 for public safety.

Projects for the borough will be discussed and planned in the new year, Zelczak said, to give new members a chance to give their opinions.

“We have several new council members coming on board in January,” he said. “We’re waiting (to start any new projects) because we want their input. We’re kind of waiting for all of the major projects we’re going to be considering. We’re waiting for them to come on board so they can have a voice in what we’re going to do.”

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