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W.O. Council Plans to Reopen 2024 Budget
By T.J. Martin
The Tube City Almanac
January 17, 2024
Posted in: White Oak News
Late last month, White Oak Borough Council passed a 2024 budget with no tax increase. But now it looks as though they’ll change their collective minds.
At a special meeting Dec. 28, council passed a budget of $6.48 million which included using approximately $892,000 from the borough fund balance and no tax increase. That left about $723,000 in the fund balance.
But at its regular January meeting, council voted unanimously to reopen the budget and hold a special meeting Feb. 1 to consider a new 2024 budget which contains a 1-mill real estate tax increase.
“Revenues are decreasing and expenses are increasing,” Finance Committee Chairman Jason Russell said in explaining the proposed change to his fellow councilpersons.
Russell cited wages and benefits paid to the borough’s collective bargaining employees, pensions, insurance, utilities, unexpected litigation and the cost of commodities such as fuel, asphalt and stone as the primary increasing expenses.
He said the proposed 1-mill increase will generate $382,134 for the borough. For every $100,000 of assessed value, real estate taxes will increase $100 per year to $900 annually, or increase $8.34 per month to approximately $75 per month, Russell said.
Originally published January 17, 2024.
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