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No Tax Hike, But Garbage Fees Up in W.O.
By T.J. Martin
The Tube City Almanac
January 07, 2025
Posted in: White Oak News
Residents of White Oak Borough will face no real estate tax increase under the 2025 budget approved as 2024 closed. They will, however, pay more to have their garbage collected, and those who work in the borough will pay more to do so.
At a special meeting last week, the White Oak Borough Council voted 5-2 to approve the budget, which calls for expenditures of $6.67 million and projected revenues of $6.13 million. The difference of approximately $541,000 will be made up for from the borough’s reserve fund.
The votes against the budget were cast by George Pambacas and Amanda DePaulis.
Pambacas had an issue with the portion of the budget which allows for 13 police officers plus a chief of police.
“White Oak has always had at the most 13 (officers) including the chief,” he said. “Studies have shown that for the size of our borough and for our population, which has declined (by) 2,000 (residents) in the past 20 years, that 12 or 13 (officers) is the optimum number.
“I feel that the money for that 14th officer could be better spent in other areas of our budget, such as zoning and planning. There’s nothing in there to hire any help for our code enforcement officer,” Pambacas said.
Council President Charles Davis defended that portion of the budget.
“We have an aging police department. We have quite a few guys that are close to retiring and I want to keep the police department strong,” Davis said.
“That’s no different than what it’s been for the past 20 years,” Pambacas responded. “There’s always been that idea that somebody has said they’re going to retire.”
DePaulis attended the meeting via speakerphone and gave no reason for her vote against the budget.
She voted with the council members other than Pambacas for leaving the real estate tax rate at 9 mills.
Council was unanimous in approving an annual fee for garbage and recyclables collection by Big’s Sanitation. There is a discounted fee of $310 if the fee is paid by April 30 and $360 if it is paid afterward. The discounted fee for 2024 was $280 and the regular fee was $330.
The budget reflects an ordinance approved in November replacing the annual $10 Occupational Privilege Tax charged to people who work within the borough with an annual $52 Local Services Tax.
As called for in the state law allowing the Local Services Tax, those who earn less than $12,000 annually are exempt from the tax.
T.J. Martin is a freelance writer from Trafford whose work has also appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Irwin Standard Observer.
Originally published January 07, 2025.
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