Jim Thorpe Borough Council adopted its 2022 general fund operating budget Thursday night and homeowners will not see a property tax increase.

Borough officials said they were able to hold the line on taxes one year after a 2.56-mill increase to help cover two building projects, a new borough garage and renovations to the Memorial Hall building on East Tenth Street.

“I think it’s amazing the services you’re able to provide without having to raise taxes,” Mayor Michael Sofranko told the governing body Thursday night.

Though the projects didn’t get off the ground in 2021, the borough put the funds generated through that tax increase aside to use when bids are eventually awarded.

Jim Thorpe is hoping to hear soon on a U.S. Senate Appropriations bill that could see it receiving over $1 million in federal funds for the projects.

The work on the hall, which would include a new HVAC system, would allow the borough to move its administrative offices to a portion of the top floor of that building, while moving its police department to the bottom floor, which used to be a roller skating rink.

Jim Thorpe bid the hall project and a new, 26,000-square-foot public works garage late last year, but bids came back at $3.72 million and $3.27 million respectively, which is around $1.5 million more each than the borough had originally estimated.

The borough also plans to build a new public works garage on property the borough owns across from the water department on West Broadway.

Aside from property taxes, all utility rates including water, sewer and sanitation will remain the same in 2022.

Jim Thorpe also passed its 2022 fee schedule, which includes an increase for pavilion rentals at Memorial Park, which will go from $150 to $175.

“I think $175 is very fair,” Councilwoman Joanne Klitsch said.

“Most people we talked to felt $150 was really low.”

The borough is also looking into whether it can charge a higher rate for nonresidents.

“If we can do that, we’d like to have $175 be the rate for a Jim Thorpe resident and charge a little more for a rental if you don’t live in the borough,” Council President Greg Strubinger said.