Bridgeville adopts final 2021 budget with no property tax hikes

Bridgeville council ratified the borough’s spending plan that did not raise property taxes for the next year during its meeting Monday.

Council voted unanimously to adopt the $3.3 million budget, which includes 2.5% salary raises for police and public works employees.

Other expenses for the police department – which has a total budget of nearly $983,000 – include the purchase of a $45,000 police cruiser. The borough allocated funds to use for the purchase of a truck that will be used as a sewer maintenance vehicle and to complete daily PA One Call markings. The yet unknown cost of the truck will be split between the borough’s sewer and general funds.

Joe Kauer, the borough’s manager, said Bridgeville will end 2020 with revenue greater than expenditures, despite a year marked by lower than expected turnout for tax revenue for communities of all sizes.

The extra money “will be used to continue building the fund balance for unforeseen emergencies and capital projects,” Kauer has said.

Capital projects in 2021 include work on Werner Avenue’s retaining wall, the widening of Chartiers Street and other potential projects at Chartiers Park.

Council president William Henderson commended council and staff for working together so well through the pandemic over the last nine months.

“This was a challenging year,” he said. “Some would say it might be easier to do things this way, by Zoom. But I argue it’s more of a challenge. Our communication gaps sometimes were hard.”

The budget is available to view on the borough’s website.