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Borough budget preview: street lighting upgrades paused amid electricity uncertainty; council questions liquid-fuels equipment purchase
Summary
Finance staff reviewed three funds—7street lighting, EMS, and liquid fuels—7and proposed shifting some maintenance funds to cover potentially higher electricity costs; councilors questioned a proposed $50,000 boom mower purchase and asked staff to evaluate rental or sharing alternatives.
At the Bellefonte Borough Council work session finance staff presented preliminary positions on three funds the borough will finalize during budget season: street lighting, the EMS fund, and liquid fuels.
On street lighting, the presenter (identified in the transcript as Miss McGowan) said most overhead ‘‘gooseneck’’ lights are owned by West Penn Power and the borough pays electricity only; decorative downtown fixtures are borough-owned and require maintenance. The packet had previously budgeted about $55,000 for upgrades (including line items of roughly $25,000 for wages and $25,000 for materials), but staff recommended holding those upgrades after preliminary notice that electricity rates could increase substantially when the borough'9s contract expires in November. "When we did a preliminary talk with them, they're talking about doubling what we currently pay," McGowan said; the borough will reserve the upgrade funds for electricity until final contract numbers arrive.
On the EMS fund, McGowan said the budgeted amount was left unchanged in her draft; the fund pays EMS invoices and a final decision on additional funding will be made later. The transcript includes a reference to the fund's current mill rate as "0.3" and a potential state maximum of "0.5," which councilors asked staff to confirm.
On liquid fuels, McGowan noted the state allocates funds for regulated uses such as paving, storm drains, snow/ice removal, and equipment. The draft included line items for project paving work and equipment; the packet states that up to 20% of liquid fuels receipts can be used for major equipment and that amounts for next year were held close to last year's budget while awaiting formal allocation from the state. The transcript records amounts including "18,000 for minor equipment," "$100,000 for project work," and "$75 [thousand] for storms, sewers, and drains." One entry in the transcript reads "$49.05 for major equipment," which likely is a transcription error; the presenter said she would confirm exact figures once the formal allocation is received.
Council members questioned a proposed boom mower purchase (discussion referenced a $50,000 price tag). Several members suggested rental or borrowing from neighboring municipalities could be more cost-effective if the mower would be used only rarely. Public works usage patterns and any existing intermunicipal sharing agreements will be investigated and reported back to council.
No formal budget decisions were made; staff will return with confirmed contract and liquid-fuels allocation figures and more detailed estimates for capital purchases.
