Palmerton remains on track to pass next year’s budget with no tax increase.

Borough Manager Donna McGarry provided a brief update on the spending plan at Thursday’s borough council meeting.

McGarry told council she would have all the numbers up to date in time for council’s next meeting.

Councilman Kris Hoffner lauded McGarry along with everyone involved in the budget process for their hard work.

“I think it’s a (solid) budget,” Hoffner said.

Councilwoman Holly Hausman-Sell also thanked McGarry for her work in seeking out various grants.

Council plans to adopt the budget when it meets at 7 p.m. Dec. 15.

Last month, council on a 6-0 measure granted tentative adoption to the 2023 preliminary budget.

If council approves next year’s spending plan without a tax increase, it would leave the millage rate at 13.77 mills.

Some of the larger items in next year’s spending plan include improvements to the borough garage, borough hall office, and police station; improvements to the three entrances to the Municipal Services Building; a new phone system for the borough office and police station; and cellphones for its nine police officers.

Also listed in the budget are equipment for fire police, with McGarry saying that the fire department support team applied for federal funding to pay for replacement of SCBA air packs, as the equipment is near the end of its useful life. If not approved, she said the borough may need to seek financing to purchase the equipment, which has an estimated cost of about $220,000.

At last month’s meeting, borough police Chief Tim Kromer told council that the police department could use another full-time officer.

That would bring the department up to 10 full-timers, including Kromer.

After last month’s meeting, McGarry said it would cost the borough about $100,000 to add another full-time officer between salary, benefits, uniforms and equipment.

McGarry said the borough would utilize money from its general fund to pay the cost, and that she has added the related expenses in the 2023 budget.

The 2022 budget had a 1-mill tax increase.