Lehighton residents will see a moderate rise in their municipal tax rate next year.

At a special meeting on Monday, borough council on a 4-0 vote adopted the 2022 budget with a half-mill increase.

With the final budget adoption, next year’s spending plan will raise the millage rate from 9.5 to 10 mills.

That means a home assessed at $50,000 will pay a bit more in their municipal tax rates next year.

Before council voted on the measure, Councilman Ryan Saunders said he believed the matter required more input.

“I think we should have more people present,” Saunders said.

However, borough Manager Nicole Beckett cautioned that the budget had to be adopted by Dec. 31.

Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky said she too, wished council had its full slate of members.

“I think it’s really crappy that it falls on (the four of) us,” Abelovsky said. “But, I also think everybody should be here.”

Absent from the meeting were Councilwoman Lisa Perry, along with Councilmen Donnie Rehrig and Darryl Arner.

Earlier this month, council advanced the 2022 proposed budget with a half-mill increase.

After that meeting, Beckett attributed the small increase in taxes to “the rising costs of everything.”

In December 2021, council adopted this year’s budget with no tax increase.

A homeowner with a home assessed at $50,000 paid $475 to the borough this year in taxes.

Beckett said then that council was able to balance the general fund without a tax increase this year.