EASTON, Pa. — Easton City Council passed a balanced budget for 2024, matching small increases in revenue and expenses, but with noted bumps in trash and parking fees on Wednesday night.
Following weeks of workshops and adjustments, the city settled on a $38,647,800 budget for the next year, marking a 2.4% increase, or $892,803, over 2023’s figure.
Two of the biggest issues included an increase in garbage rates and an increase in parking rates in the area surrounding Centre Square, with the parking increases largely falling upon visitors and helping to offset the overall costs of the garbage increase.
Garbage rates are going up $5 per month, or $60 per year.
Regular street parking is set to increase from $1 to $1.50 an hour in most locations, and $2 in Centre Square and “the spokes” — the single blocks of streets stemming from Centre Square.
While the budget approval was largely smooth, a bit of time was allotted to moving funding $15,000 of funding from council funds to administration funds. Business administrator Luis Campos explained the funds were earmarked as six $2,500 allotments for each council member to utilize for expenses associated with attending conferences.
“There's no impact on the budget by moving that money, that $15,000 to the administration's budget, but this just allows for better fiscal controls, if you will.”Easton Business Administrator Luis Campos
“There's no impact on the budget by moving that money, that $15,000 to the administration's budget, but this just allows for better fiscal controls, if you will,” Campos said.
Councilman Ken Brown concluded the discussion, saying “I see no problem with that. It makes it cleaner, in my opinion.”
Councilwoman Taiba Sultana did attempt to introduce the idea of a grant fund, calling attention to the Ferry Street fire which left dozens of individuals and families without accommodations until emergency services could be rendered by groups like the Red Cross.
“With that in mind, I would like to create and propose a policy called FERRY Aid, which stands for “Fire, Emergency, and Risk Recovery Yield,” Sultana said, noting the acronym referred to Ferry Street.
“The city's Community and Economic Development Department, I'm sure [they] can handle this program, since it's directly correlated to the housing. That policy will help connect to those in urgent need of housing impacted by fires or any other natural disaster by offering financial help and cities, unoccupied units or houses on a temporary basis.”
Other members of the council pointed out that there were issues with such a late addition to the budget, especially in the amount of $100,000, when funds were being carefully moved around in far lesser amounts to meet a balanced budget.
“I would have to ask the question, is that something that is in the city's purview to be able to do with taxpayer money? And how do we justify it? How do we… Who's going to run it? Who's going to say who's eligible for it? Who's not eligible for it? And where's that coming out of? What line items?” Brown said.
Councilman Roger Ruggles cited the Red Cross and other organizations who came in to assist the victims of the Ferry Street fire, noting larger entities such as the Red Cross “has the infrastructure that can do that – we don’t.”
Mayor Sal Panto Jr. questioned why the request came up right on the cusp of the vote for the budget.
“We had three budget hearings, it didn't come up at all. Right now that we have a balanced budget that's been introduced, and it has to be voted on, why is it the 12th hour we're dealing with this?” Panto said.
Panto also questioned why Sultana did not attend a meeting she had requested to discuss the subject on Tuesday evening, though Sultana did clarify she had contacted her fellow council members she would be late as she was attending a demonstration in Bethlehem.
Sultana eventually agreed to discuss the potential fund in a committee in the new year, with Ruggles – he noted it “may be a good idea,” but it required further discussion in committees – recommending the matter be evaluated in his Public Safety committee.
The council also approved a tax rate of 24.95 mills on each dollar of assessed value for 2024, consisting of 12.99 mills for general city purposes, 7.590 mills for the debt fund real estate tax, and 4.370 mills for the recreation fund real estate tax.
