Bellefonte eyes tax increases

Jessica VanderKolk

BELLEFONTE — Borough residents likely will see some tax increases next year to cover street lighting and fire service and equipment.

During the work session before Monday night’s regular Borough Council meeting, Finance Director Lori Walker briefly outlined the increases her office recommends for 2010.

The increases include a .06 mil increase for street lights (from .840 to .9 mils), for about $4,900 more in revenue; a .03 mil increase for the fire department (from .4 to .43), for about $2,790 more in revenue; and a .22 mil increase for fire equipment (from .460 to .680), for about $17,975 more in revenue.

Borough Council will vote on the increases before the end of the year.

The increase for fire equipment would help cover the borough’s debt on a $400,000 fire tanker/ engine it will receive in December.

Walker said the tax increase for lighting is due in part to rising electricity costs. The borough also is looking at replacing its street lights with LEDs to save money in the long-term.

Assistant Borough Manager Don Holderman said the borough has about 200 lights to replace. More efficient lights would save it about $15,000 annually, based on current electric rates. The LEDs are 40-watt bulbs, compared to the current 150-watt bulbs.

“We can do better in lighting and savings,” Holderman said. He suggested the borough replace a number of streetlights per year, as money is available.

Councilman Joe Beigle agreed, pointing to the 2011 expiration of electric rate caps and deregulation in Pennsylvania.

“We can save a lot on our energy costs in the borough,” he said. “We have to be proactive on this thing.”