Proposed Tarentum budget holds line on taxes despite $1M cut in spending

Tarentum Council is considering a $9.6 million preliminary budget for next year that maintains the current tax rate despite a nearly $1 million reduction in spending.

Council reviewed the preliminary budget Tuesday and plans to vote on it Thursday. The final budget is scheduled to be adopted on Thursday, Dec. 19.

Proposed spending in the preliminary budget is down from the $10.5 million budgeted for this year.

“The reduction comes because we are not receiving a number of grants this year that were obtained in 2019,” Borough Manager Michael Nestico wrote in an email.

Tarentum’s preliminary budget includes a $3.6 million general fund, $1.64 million water fund and $4.3 million electric fund. The borough owns and operates its own electric system.

In the general fund, $1.2 million is allotted to the police department for salaries, benefits and related expenses, while $663,000 is budgeted for street maintenance and public works. Each of the borough’s three volunteer fire departments will receive a $12,500 donation.

The borough expects to receive a state liquid fuels reimbursement of $143,000, with $60,000 going toward street paving and $29,000 toward buying winter road salt.

A list of streets to be paved has not been determined.

The budget also includes $140,000 for demolition of dilapidated properties.

Trash collection costs are projected to rise from almost $277,000 to nearly $375,000, but borough officials said they are negotiating with Waste Management Inc.

Any extra money made from the electric fund would be turned over to support other borough endeavors, officials said.

As for the water fund, East Deer water users who buy water from Tarentum are slated to see a 12% rate increase, the first since 2012, officials said.

East Deer customers currently pay $10 for the first 1,500 gallons of water usage.