Irwin budget: Tax rates expected to hold in 2025

The tentative 2025 budget in Irwin holds the line on real estate taxes.

Irwin council on Oct. 9 introduced a $4.25 million general fund budget that sets taxes at 28 mills, the same as last year. The tentative budget allocates the revenue from 23 mills to the general fund budget; three mills for the Irwin Volunteer Fire Department; and two mills for a street light fund that covers the cost of electricity, repairs and replacements.

The borough anticipates generating $663,000 from its real estate levy. The fire tax will generate $90,000 for the fire department.

The borough’s non-union employees will receive pay raises of about 5% for the new year. Dan Wensel, borough police chief, will receive a salary of $83,817; Shari Martino, borough manager, $65,687; Katelind Sartori, assistant manager, $47,798; Randy Altman, public works director, $57,849 and Matt Sever, assistant public works director and code enforcement officer, $48,272. Zachary Kansler, borough solicitor, will receive a salary of $40,134.

The police department budget of about $603,000 for next year includes a $4,000 expenditure in connection with the police department joining the Westmoreland County Special Weapons and Tactics team and $3,600 for bulletproof vests. The budget also allocates $5,000 for the newly-implemented sign-on bonus for new officers hired in 2025.

For the protection of its office staff, the borough will spend about $4,200 to install a security system at the front door that opens onto Main Street. It is the public access to the borough offices on the second floor.

Westmoreland Lock, Safe & Door Co. of Youngwood, is to install an intercom system to allow the office staff to communicate with someone at the door, plus a buzzer to unlock the door, an electric strike plate for the door, the required wiring for the system and labor costs, for about $4,200.

Council had authorized spending up to $5,000 for the safety system.

Once installed, borough office employees would no longer have to walk the 28 steps from the second floor office to the front door to let a visitor in the building, then return to the front door to unlock it to let them out, then relock it. The front door has been locked since Sept. 24.