For the second straight year, Lehighton Area School District plans to hold the line on property taxes.

School board members unanimously voted Monday to keep the tax rate at 47.88 mills in its preliminary approval of the 2016-17 budget.The budget now becomes available for public review before a final vote takes place in June.Balanced expenditures and revenues total $39.28 million. The largest revenue, $16.12 million, comes from real estate taxes, while the top expenses are $15.48 million for salaries and $11.3 million for benefits."We have some positions where individuals retire and we did not fill them," Lehighton Business Manager Brian Feick said of keeping taxes level. "Also, two years ago we got in a health insurance trust and that has paid dividends for us."The district had planned to use $1 million from its fund balance last year, but due to positive returns from the health insurance trust, it didn't need to use that money."This year we're planning on $900,000 from the fund balance, but if we get good returns again, we won't have to touch it again," Feick said.The district came into 2015-16 with a $14 million fund balance, but used $6.5 million on its new athletic stadium."We're still in great shape," Feick said. "Looking out to 2018-19, we may need a slight increase if we don't see any increased funding from the state."In his budget planning, Feick doesn't include any increase from the state. Lehighton received $8.6 million from the state last year."This was a tough year for everyone, but we're fortunate we didn't have to borrow any money like some other entities who rely on that money," he said.It is the fourth time in five years Lehighton has not increased taxes.The last increase came in 2014-15, when the millage was increased 0.56, or 1.17 percent.