Dickson City adopts 2013 budget; no tax increase
DICKSON CITY - The 2013 budget was adopted with no tax increase Tuesday, one year after the council approved a 50 percent rate jump.
The council may also look to add to its police force in the new year, after discussion at the meeting raised concern about the yearly volume of calls.
The $4.9 million budget was approved unanimously at Tuesday's council meeting. The borough's millage rate will remain at 20.8. A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 of a property's assessed value.
"There is absolutely nothing in the wind at all for a tax increase for a long time," council President Barbara Mecca said firmly. "I think (last year's tax increase) put the borough in a good financial place for a long time."
Also at the meeting, Mayor Tony Zaleski urged the council to consider adding another full-time police officer after Councilwoman Rose Louryk asked about the progress toward adding a police dog to the force. He recommended hiring a full-time officer who could take care of the added four-legged officer.
"By paying one salary, we're really putting two officers on the street," he said.
He also shared that the borough received more than 10,000 calls last year. That is nearly double the amount that surrounding boroughs received.
"I think we're going to really sit down and look at this," Ms. Mecca said, explaining that a meeting should be held to look at data and make a decision in January.
In other business, the borough voted to send $203,735 of payment requests to the United States Department of Agriculture for the project to build a new Borough Building on Enterprise Street.
Councilman Jack Horvath also announced the Dickson City Crime Watch will hold a reorganization meeting on Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. at the ambulance building. He encouraged all residents to attend the meeting, where new officers will be selected.
"I, personally, do not want to see this organization fall by the wayside," he said.
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