Slatington held a special budget workshop on Monday to attempt to balance the budget. The total budget at the beginning was $1,619,759 in expenses and $1,413,236 in revenue.

By the end of the evening, with some cutting still to be done, it looks like there will be a raise in taxes though some of the difference may be taken from a fund balance. There will be no decision on this until the final numbers are available.Councilman Paul Hoffman said he had to cut the public safety budget and met with Police Chief David Rachman to discuss it. Considered were pay cuts for part-time officers. Wage increases are in the collective bargaining agreement for full-time people.Providing crossing guards was budgeted at $8,000 though the actual cost is $11,000, with the school district matching the amount. There are guards at only three stops twice a day.Councilman Daniel Stevens asked if there was a written agreement with the school. Hoffman said he would call to find out. If there is no written agreement the amount will be cut.Councilman Russell Hallman said his concern was a stop at Bechtel's Pharmacy where the bus stop is in the middle of the block.Bubek said each police officer received $1,200 for street clothes to attend court but Sgt. David Alercia said she was wrong - the amount was $360.Rachman said he would forego his 2011 raise. Bubek said her sewage plant officer also made that offer.Stevens, who drew up the draft budget, said the fire budget remains the same. The company also will receive $23,000 in state relief funds which are for training or safety-related equipment.Fire chief Keith Weaver pointed out that a new fireman requires $800 worth of training which is paid out of pocket, but is reimbursed if the person passes the course.It was suggested a fire truck could be sold, but Hallman said that would drive up everyone's insurance because the borough would have a different safety rating.Everyone is to watch for ways to save on both the engineer's and solicitor's costs. Also, it seemed that the auditor was expensive and should go out on bid. The engineer's (Spotts Stevens and McCoy) budget was set at $20,000 and the solicitor's at $45,000.The enforcement officer works a 30-hour week which is being cut to 20 hours. The officer also does animal control.Councilman Bryon Reed said the street lighting makes a big cut in liquid fuels money received from the state. "Perhaps a different electricity provider …."PPL gets $5,000 a month to care for the lights but service is poor with lights that do not stay lit.The Lehigh County Authority questioned the $16,000 allotted by the police for security at the sewage plant and another $16,000 for water. Both are to be cut.Stevens said they checked back three years to try to get an accurate estimate for many of the items.Reed said labor is the big item for public works. He wants to get some kind of card to buy diesel fuel so there is a better record of who is using it. He said it takes about 700 gallons per year at $3 per gallon. This will be discussed further at a council meeting.He hopes employees will accept an hour a day cut. The contract calls for time "as per borough needs" and Reed hoped that would give leeway to cut hours. A 35-hour week is still considered full time with benefits. The hour per day would save $20,000. However, another interpretation reads the contract to mean 8 hours per day for a 40 hour week with no change possible.They were asked to come up with some possibilities. Stevens said they were trying to cut 10 percent off everything which would leave 36-hour weeks.Bubek said they could not give donations to the ambulance or Northern Lehigh pool because they charge for services and so are a business. Solicitor Ed Healey, in an email, said the ambulance was cut and dried. For the pool since it is a nonprofit the council can decide if it wants to donate. A $2,000 cut was made in parks and playgrounds.Stevens thinks sewer rates are too low. Slatington pays $883,710; Walnutport, $108,000 and Washington, $68,000. Bubek said she may be mandated by the Department of Environmental Protection to have three full-time operators, and that the plant is in "dire" need of work.Advertisements were out for a new borough manager. The résumés will be held for at least six months before filling that position, and the time may be extended. It will mean a saving of $60,000 if it is not filled for the year. The decision would provide an immediate savings.Prior to the meeting, Joseph Stauffer of the Lehigh County drug task force talked to council about the resources and training available to Detective Tim Wagner of the Slatington police force as well as the county drug force. Wagner's county training and resources benefits the borough.