Treasurer Mary Louise Bittner had good news for property owners in Ford City: There will be no tax increase in 2019.
Ford City Treasurer Mary Louise Bittner presented an overview of the 2019 proposed budget at last night’s special public meeting of Ford City Borough Council.
Four of the six council persons were in attendance and voted to advertise the proposed budget. Bittner pointed out that there was no anticipated tax increase. Council voted to hold the total millage at 17.40.
Bittner (no relation to Borough Secretary Lisa Bittner) said total expected revenue in 2019 will be $3,068,056 while she anticipates expenditures to be $2,930,621. Revenue was computed with a tax collection rate of 87%, which reflects a two-percent increase over 2018.
In expenditures, Bittner showed $550,000 going to the police department and $1.6 million to public works. General administration of the Borough is expected to cost $275,000, which she said was basically the same as 2018.
Council President Carol Fenyes said that legal fees in 2018 were extraordinary, but expects that to change in 2019.
“We had several litigations that have been ongoing that were not anticipated. But I do have some good news. I received word last week that Ford City is no longer named the PPG Sierra Club lawsuit. The federal judge has taken us out of that lawsuit so our name is no longer associated with it. Several other actions have settled themselves. Hopefully nothing else will crawl out of the woodwork next year that we are not expecting. So we were able to take the legal fees back down (in the budget).”
The budget is available for public inspection at the borough office during regular business hours.