Lower Burrell Council voted unanimously Monday on a $10.77 million preliminary budget that holds the line on real estate taxes for next year .
The city’s proposed 2022 budget will keep real estate taxes at 24.75 mills.
That means a property assessed at $20,000 would be subject to a real estate tax of $495.
There was no real increase in revenue, said Chris Fabry, a city councilman who is the city’s finance director. He said council avoided a tax increase through cuts and cost savings.
The most significant savings for next year was found in the city’s Minimum Municipal Obligation for the police pension fund, Fabry said. Several factors drove the savings for the police pension fund next year, he said.
“The increase in funding percentage of the fund, and the reduction in outgoing funds due to several factors dropped the contribution for next year, resulting in a lowered contribution by the city,” Fabry said.
Most of the council department heads cut their budget to help balance the overall budget, he said.
Fabry’s department, Accounts and Finance, and Councilman Rob Hamilton’s department, Public Works, reduced their budgets for 2022, Fabry said.
Fabry credited City Manager Amy Rockwell with “managing and balancing everything.”
Council plans to vote on the final budget during its Dec. 6 meeting at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 115 Schreiber St.
