Murrysville council approves 2021 budget with no tax hike

Murrysville council approved a 2021 budget of $14.2 million that does not include a tax increase.

Council voted 5-0 Wednesday to OK the budget, which will keep property taxes at 12.15 mills. Council members Jamie Lee Korns and Tony Spadaro were not present.

Municipal officials said, while taxes have remained steady — this will be the 14th year in a row they have not gone up — creating a balanced budget without a tax hike is becoming more of a challenge each year.

For 2021, 1.7 mills has been reallocated as follows:

• 0.9 mills (roughly $306,000) from the general fund for the Murrysville Community Library.

• 0.6 mills (roughly $204,000) from the capital reserve fund for Murrysville’s fire companies.

• 0.2 mills (roughly $68,000) from the general fund for Murrysville Medic One.

Earlier this fall, council voted to re-establish a special-purpose fund to account for and track dedicated millage and costs for emergency services and the library.

In addition to hiring an associate finance director and planning for an assistant administrator, officials also are considering filling the community development department’s full-time planner position, which has been vacant the past two years following the departure of Allen Cohen.