Irwin plans 3-mill tax hike for 2021 with 1 mill for fire department

Irwin is proposing a 15% property tax hike for 2021, a third of which will go to the Irwin Volunteer Fire Department as it considers building a new fire hall.

The proposed tax increase, which was in the tentative $3.98 million general fund budget adopted last month, would raise property taxes from 20 mills to 23 mills, with one mill devoted to the fire department. Irwin has not increased property taxes for at least three years.

Council is scheduled to vote on the general fund budget at its meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday, which will be held in a virtual manner — with livestreaming via Facebook live on the borough’s Facebook page — because of the covid-19 pandemic.

Despite the increase in millage, the general fund budget is slightly less than the 2020 general fund budget, said Shari Martino, borough manager.

Revenue from 2 mills of the tax increase is necessary to cover general borough operating expenses, Martino said. The borough anticipates generating $661,000 from the collection of real estates taxes — current and back taxes, according to the budget.

The borough needed to raise taxes to cover expenses because it had not increased taxes in previous years as costs, including employee salaries, increased, said Councilwoman Leslie Savage.

Rick Burdelski, council president, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The revenue from the fire tax — about $30,000 — will be limited to capital expenditures, not for general operating costs like fuel, Savage said.

The volunteer fire department is in “the early stages” of studying the feasibility of building a new fire hall and has not yet selected a possible site, said Irwin Fire Chief Justin Mochar.

The revenue from the fire tax would help pay for costs associated with that project, such as engineering, Savage said.

The department has outgrown its fire hall is at 518 Western Ave., a block from Main Street, as it expanded its emergency medical services, Mochar said.

“We definitely want to do it within two years,” Mochar said of relocating the fire hall.

A municipal complex will allow the borough to move its offices from the second floor above Rosendahl’s Appliance Center at 424 Main St. The borough offices on the second floor are not handicapped accessible and neither is the police department, also on the second floor with an entrance off an alley.

Visitors to the borough offices must climb at least 15 steps to conduct business with the borough. Council used to meet on the second floor, but has moved to a first floor meeting room in the public works building on First Street.