The Palmerton Borough Council approved the tax rate for 2016.

Since the rate was proposed and discussed at the meeting in November and advertised to the public, council member Holly Sell made a motion to pass the ordinance.The proposed 2016 tax rate will generate revenue for general purposes, recreation purposes and debt reduction purposes.Palmerton Borough Manager Rodger Danielson told the council in November that the millage will remain unchanged for general and recreation purposes, but would increase 1.25 mills for the debt reduction. The borough hasn't raised taxes in seven years.The borough needs to repair the compactor, which will cost $70,000 to $75,000. Funds from the increase will help to pay for this repair.Overall the tax rate on real estate property in the borough for general purposes will remain 6.78 mills on each dollar of assessed valuation. This means that for every $100 of assessed valuation the tax will be 67.8 cents, according to the proposed ordinance.The tax for recreation purposes will also remain the same at 0.49 mills on each dollar of assessed valuation or 4.9 cents on $100 of assessed valuation. For debt reduction, the tax will increase to 2.25 mills or 22.5 cents on each $100 of assessed valuation.The council also passed an ordinance re-enacting per capita, earned income, real estate transfer tax, local services tax and the mechanical devices tax for fiscal year 2016. The Per Capita Tax is $10, the earned income tax is 1 percent, as is the real estate transfer tax, and the Local Services Tax is $52. The Mechanical Devices Tax did not have a set dollar amount.Also passed was a resolution fixing the fee for residential collection and disposal of garbage, rubbish and ashes. The fee will be $72 per residential unit per quarter, which is a slight increase. The fee is not per person, but per housing unit, Danielson explained at the November meeting. The increase will amount to a $2 per month change. The increase will be about $7 per household per month.In other business, the Palmerton Police Department will be getting a new part-time police officer.Council member Terry Costenbader told the council that he and council member Kris Hoffner interviewed Brent Getz for the position and wanted to offer him the position. Council voted to approve hiring Getz, conditional on his satisfactory passing of medical exams. Costenbader said the position will pay $16 per hour.Council member Richard Nothstein said the dinner honoring Lt. Gen. Rhett Hernandez was a success. About 127 people attended the dinner, which was held on Nov. 7 at the Blue Shamrock Country Club in Palmerton. Hernandez is a 1971 graduate of Palmerton High School. He went on to graduate from West Point and an illustrious career in the military."The dinner went over well," Nothstein said. "Thanks for the support."