The Tamaqua School Board's finance committee has recommended that the full board approve the 2014-15 budget, which includes a 0.93-mill tax increase.

The finance committee made the recommendation during a meeting Tuesday night. On average, based on a home valued at $39,000, a homeowner will see a $37 increase in taxes per year.Even with the tax increase, the district will begin the year with a $5 million general fund balance and end it with $2.8 million, using roughly $2.2 million of the general fund balance."We're still hoping for some type of bill that will do something about the pension crisis," district business manager Connie Ligenza said Wednesday."Until then, this board is not willing to put the increasing costs on the backs of the taxpayers."The district also is in the midst of negotiating two open contracts. The teachers' contract expires in August and the service personnel, which includes janitorial, secretarial and cafeteria workers, expired June 30 of last year.In other action, the education committee recommended that the district schedule a Mobile Agriculture Education Science Lab, which is an outreach of the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation.If approved by the board next week, the lab will visit the district's three elementary schools during September. The cost, $7,500, is funded by the Tamaqua Blue Raider Foundation.