Lehighton remains on track to pass next year’s budget with no municipal tax rate increase.

On a 5-0 vote at a special meeting on Thursday, borough council agreed to advertise the proposed 2020 spending plan. Councilmen Joe Flickinger and Darryl Arner were absent.

As a result, council chose to forgo a special meeting that had been scheduled for this Monday, but will still hold a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 19 to grant the budget final adoption.

Borough Manager Nicole Beckett reviewed the capital projects fund; Light and Power Department fund; expenses; sewer fund; and Public Works Department fund.

Beckett noted that the Public Works Department would like a new pole building, and also a hydro excavator.

“I think we should build before we add equipment,” Beckett said.

Council President Grant Hunsicker concurred, adding that the department, as currently constructed, doesn’t have adequate space to house such a piece of equipment.

“I would like to have it, but we don’t have (anywhere) to go with it,” Hunsicker said. “I keep thinking we should add onto the building we have.”

Beckett said every effort was made to keep the tax rate in check.

“With the general fund, it if was requested and it didn’t fit, it didn’t make it,” Beckett said. “We have done a very good job the last five years of outfitting our borough.”

If council were to adopt next year’s budget with no millage increase, it would leave the millage rate at 9.5 mills.

That would mean that a homeowner with a home assessed at $50,000 would again pay $475 to the borough next year in taxes.

Last week, council reviewed the initial presentation of the 2020 budget, at which time Beckett discussed the general fund and millage rates and noted the spending plan reflects a balanced budget with no tax increase.

Beckett said at that time revenues are projected to come in at $4.9 million, while expenditures are also anticipated to come in at $4.9 million.

Among the expected expenditures next year are a new public works storage building, safety improvements to borough hall, and a new borough website.

Last December, council adopted this year’s budget with a 1.5-mill increase.

Of that, 1 mill was allotted toward the general fund, while a half-mill was used toward the fire department equipment investment account to increase the total annual contribution of $80,000 toward fire equipment based on the fire department’s strategic plan.

Beckett said at that time personnel costs represented a large portion of that budget to cover the costs of administration, public works, police, recreation and the Light and Power departments.

She said the borough’s police department budget had increased nearly $185,000, which represented 34 percent of the total general fund allocation of $1,643,068.

Additionally, Beckett said the proposed assistant borough manager position ($65,000) and public works storage building ($37,000) were allocated in that budget if council decided to proceed with those this year.