Lehighton residents figure to see some sort of increase in their municipal tax rates next year.

Somewhere between a 1.5- and 2-mill increase was the general consensus of borough council members who attended a budget workshop on Wednesday.

During the discussion, Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky said she would like to see an assistant borough manager position be put into the 2019 budget.

Council President Grant Hunsicker questioned where the borough would get the money to afford the position.

It was stated that the money would come from out of the borough’s light & power and sewer.

Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky said she believes an assistant borough manager is needed to help alleviate some of the huge workload from borough Manager Nicole Beckett.

“I feel uncomfortable at every single meeting when we ask Nicole to do more,” Abelovsky said. “I think we’re unrealistic in our expectations of one person.”

Council agreed to put the position in the 2019 budget, with Councilwoman Lisa Perry, Councilman Darryl Arner, Abelovsky and Hunsicker in favor, and Councilmen Joe Flickinger and Ryan Saunders against.

“We’re not approving it at this point,” Perry said. “We’re just putting it in the budget.”

From an expenses standpoint, Beckett said the police department’s budget represents the most sizable increase.

Beckett then asked council for direction as she continues to review next year’s spending plan.

Perry said she would do a 2-mill increase, 1.5 for general fund and a half mill for the fire department.

Flickinger said he would go for between a 1.5- to 2-mill increase.

“As much as all of us do not want to see things (raised), unfortunately, that’s how it is,” Flickinger said.

Abelovsky said she would do no more than a 1.5-mill increase, including 1 mill for the general fund and a half mill for the fire department.

“I’m not comfortable with raising taxes a huge amount in one year,” Abelovsky said. “While I feel small increments are necessary, I don’t want to see it be a large increase.”

Saunders said a 1.5-mill increase would be his ceiling.

“I just really hate to see an increase again, two years in a row,” Saunders said.

Hunsicker said he would do no more than a 2-mill increase.

“I don’t like to see an increase,” Hunsicker said. “But, if that’s the case, then that’s what we have to do.”

Arner said he wouldn’t want to go any higher than a 1.5-mill increase.

Councilman Jared McEvoy was not in attendance.

Council is slated to hold its next budget workshop at 7 p.m. Thursday.

On Jan. 22, council unanimously agreed to adopt this year’s budget with a half-mill increase that raised the millage rate from 7.5 to 8 mills.

That meant a homeowner with a home assessed at $50,000 paid $400, or $25 more, to the borough this year in taxes.

Council’s action came after a special meeting held Jan. 10 at which it approved a motion for a half-mill increase for the general fund capital reserve on a 4-3 vote.

At its reorganization Jan. 2, council agreed to reopen this year’s budget to re-evaluate the millage rates several weeks after the previous council adopted the spending plan without a tax increase.