- Hellertown residents are projected to face no general or fire tax increase but a bump in some service fees in 2024
- The borough on Monday approved the preliminary budget outlook for advertisement
- Contractual wages, borough services and the Hellertown Pool are listed as key expenditures
HELLERTOWN, Pa. — Hellertown’s proposed $4.7 million budget for the upcoming year features neither general millage nor fire tax increase.
But officials said Monday that a “substantial increase” in service fees surrounding recycling and sanitation would be needed to address a structural deficit and increased costs.
The highway aid and fund budget outlines winter maintenance, street construction, fuels and more.
Just before the vote to advertise the preliminary budgets, Borough Council also approved a three-year recycling contract with J.P. Mascaro & Sons in the amount of $805,320, or $268,440 a year.
The official budget will see a final decision by the end of the year, officials said, though one borough document lists the expected vote date as Dec. 4.
“One blizzard, one hurricane — those costs do add up relatively quickly."Hellertown Borough Council President Thomas Rieger
For the borough, there’s a revenue increase of less than 2%, thanks to organic growth and earned interest, Councilman Andrew Hughes said.
“One of the things that’s becoming a larger part of our revenue stream — which is a positive, and it is a little bit of a variable — is the earned income tax,” Hughes said.
“So as folks’ wages increase, the borough gets a little bit more money with that.”
Council President Thomas Rieger said the costs associated with running the Hellertown Pool have gone up more than $80,000 since 2018. Other “large drivers,” he explained, are contractual wages and borough services.
“One blizzard, one hurricane — those costs do add up relatively quickly,” Rieger said.
