Lansford Borough Council tentatively adopted a $1.94 million budget for 2026 at a special meeting Saturday morning.

The preliminary spending plan, which will be available for public inspection and review for 10 days, holds the line on taxes, keeping the millage rate at 35.15 mills.

Council lowered the tax rate last year from 36.84 mills to 35.15 mills.

But residents will be paying for services.

Earlier this month, council approved a new fee schedule which raises the annual sewage transmission and the quarterly garbage fees among others.

The sewage transmission fee will go from $60 a year to $90 a year, and the quarterly garbage rate will go from $115 to $127.

These two increases, which were posted on the borough’s Facebook page and website, drew ire from residents already dealing with increased garbage rates due to a new five-year trash contract and who benefited from a reduction in the sewage transmission two years ago.

Resident Chris Ondrus questioned the increases along with collections and pointed out that fees went down during a previous municipal election cycle.

Council President Bruce Markovich said the borough is dealing with increased costs and obligations and unpaid bills that the borough is working to collect from property owners.

The borough has to come up with $350,000 each for a joint sewer authority project and an Act 537 sewage treatment facility plan, he said. The former is needed by the end of the year, he said.

Markovich also said that not everyone pays their bills, such as garbage, and the borough still has to come up with the money to meet its contractual obligation for trash removal.

“That money has to come from somewhere,” he said. “We’re trying to collect as much as we can, but you have some people just totally ignoring us.”

Those increased fees, including a $50 increase for rental licenses, were approved as part of the fee schedule, not the 2026 spending plan — although the budget benefits from increased fees.

Under the budget, residents were concerned about increased salaries and possible pensions for office staff, specifically the borough secretary and treasurer.

The tentative budget includes an $8,000 line item for office pension, a move for which council earlier this month formed a committee to meet and discuss options. It did not approve pension plans.

Residents questioned the item, pointing out that previous office workers did not receive a pension. Markovich said other agencies, such as the water authority, offer pensions, and that a job with a pension may be why one borough employee left.

The 2026 budget projects revenues as follows: taxes, $1,298,500; licenses and permits, $14,000; fines and forfeits, $15,750; interest, rent and royalty, $36,400; intergovernmental revenue, $70,300; charges for services, $230,400; public safety, $7,715; miscellaneous, $151,050; other sources, $115,000.

Expenditures include: general government, $375,355; buildings, $15,675; police, $836,653; fire, $16,000; code enforcement, $79,220; zoning, $14,350; public safety/other, $32,762; public works, $514,600; municipal administration, $17,600, and miscellaneous, $37,000.

The budget can be inspected at the borough office and a copy of the preliminary budget for 2026 is also posted in the front window of the borough building.

The adoption of a final budget is expected at a special meeting before the end of the year. A date has not been set, but the meeting could be held on Dec. 30, Markovich said.