Good news for the residents of Tamaqua. The year 2016 does not hold a tax increase for the borough.

Manager Kevin Steigerwalt released his preliminary draft of next year's spending plan at Tuesday night's council meeting. The general millage will remain at 18.25. Additionally, there will be 1.5 mills applied to the building and equipment fund.Originally, the budget had included 1 mill for the building and equipment fund and 0.5 mill for the Wabash fund. However, during the course of the meeting, Councilman Brian Connely requested that the 0.5 mill intended for the Wabash fund be redirected towards the building and equipment fund to help offset the cost of the digital radio purchases by the town's four fire departments and rescue squad.According to Connely, the total cost to each company was in the neighborhood of $82,000, some of which the county paid and some of which each company was able to offset by securing grants. Each company still came up about $26,000 short for the required changes. Connely asked that the borough direct $15,000 to each fire company and $10,000 to the rescue squad to help offset the remaining cost. He said each of the companies and the rescue squad would need to cover the rest. Connely referred to the fire chief's report which had more man hours spent fundraising than actually assisting in emergencies. "That's a fact of life," he said. "They do what they need to do."Council president Micah Gursky cautioned about dipping too far into the Wabash fund in the future."When those problems happen, and we know they do, those repairs run into the hundreds and thousands of dollars."The budget will be available for viewing by the public at borough hall and will be finalized and voted on next month.