Council holds 2016 budget public hearing

Borough residents voiced their disapproval of the elimination of three police officers — a proposal called for in the 2016 budget.

The budget also calls for the elimination of funding for a number of other positions, including a housing specialist, a public works foreman and three engineering interns.

The budget was presented on Oct. 23, borough Manager Tom Fountaine said, and has been available for public inspection since that date. The borough has provided community engagement opportunities for residents to comment on the budget, and will continue to do so until the final budget adoption slated for Dec. 21.

As presented, the proposed 2016 budget includes expenditures of about $42.2 million, Fountaine said. The general fund is balanced with revenues of $25,208,679, which exceed expenditures of $25,208,359.

The budget reflects “the continuation of a stagnant revenue base with both property taxes and earned taxes continuing to lack growth,” budget documents said. According to Fountaine, while there is proposed stagnation, the budget projects a positive general fund for the first time since 2012 and completely eliminates the $814,000 deficit in the 2015 budget.

The budget does call for a real estate tax increase of 2 mills, he said, raising the borough millage rate to 16.4 mills. For a home with a homestead exclusion and a market value of $200,000, this translates to a $64 per year increase.

Fountain related several written correspondence to council from borough residents and organizations, each encouraging council to retain the full complement of the police department. Other suggestions included increasing fines and improving the Highlands camera project.

Highlands Civic Association President Susan Venegoni spoke during the hearing Monday, asking council to not eliminate the three officers, saying response times would increase and quality of life calls will suffer.

“I would urge you to reinstate the police officers in the budget,” she said.

Venegoni also requested that council add the housing specialist back to the budget, saying the push for homeownership in the borough and numerous housing ordinances are adding additional work to the planning department who needs the staff.

Resident David Stone encouraged council to keep the police “strong and effective,” but also said the budget offers no solution to projected deficits in the years to come. He said there needs to be a link between the number of Penn State students and the contributions of the university itself.

Housing is the only limitation on the number of students Penn State can bring in, he said, so the university should support the borough in any way it can.

“If you manage the problem like you are this year, where it doesn’t hurt anyone too much, it just puts off the day when you have to deal with the real problem,” he said.

Police Chief Tom King, who was in attendance, said dropping to 60 officers from 63 would see minimal impact on top priority calls with a difference of maybe 15 seconds. Response to non-emergency calls would be slower, however.

The department’s commitment to investigating violent crimes — domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking — would not change, he said. These types of crimes will continue to be a high priority and a unit investigating sexual assault and violence against women will still be in operation no matter the number of officers.

This story was originally published December 8, 2015 at 6:33 PM with the headline "Council holds 2016 budget public hearing."