Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Connellsville council introduces 2026 budget with no tax increase, approves routine contracts and grant requests
Summary
The Connellsville City Council introduced the proposed 2026 budget and related wage ordinance, saying the budget is balanced without a tax increase; council also approved multiple routine vendor contracts and authorized two grant applications to the Commonwealth Financing Authority.
Connellsville City Council on Nov. 18 introduced its proposed fiscal 2026 budget and related wage ordinance and approved a slate of routine vendor contracts and grant requests.
Council introduced Bill No. 5 (2025), the estimate of receipts, expenditures and proposed appropriations for fiscal 2026, and emphasized that the budget is balanced "without a tax increase," a milestone the mayor said marks the 11th consecutive year without raising city taxes. Council also introduced Bill No. 3 (2025), which fixes salaries payable for 2026, and Bill No. 4 (2025), an ordinance setting the city's real‑estate and resident tax rates for 2026. Motions to introduce the bills were seconded and carried on roll‑call votes.
On contracts, council approved a one‑year renewal with Culligan Water for 01/01/2026–12/31/2026, to be paid from line item 409250, and renewed a mats agreement (to run 02/24/2026–02/23/2027) and a five‑year copier lease with Precision Office Products at $727 per month with payments allocated to the listed line items. Council also authorized contracting payroll services to Scarry and Associates at $390 per month for calendar year 2026.
Council voted to request two statewide local share assessment grants from the Commonwealth Financing Authority: up to $375,000 for equipment at Penn Highlands Connersville and up to $160,000 for City Hall computer upgrades. The motions were seconded and approved by roll call.
Council also authorized the city clerk to solicit quotes for a tax‑anticipation note (TAN) for 2026 "if needed" as a contingency, noting the city has not had to use a TAN in recent years.
The council scheduled non‑routine community items including a first‑responder vehicle event at the Eastside Fire Station on Dec. 6 and listed dates for holiday markets and community dinners in the mayor's announcements.
The next formal steps for the budget are the required readings and whatever additional public hearings or procedural steps the council's ordinance schedule requires; the introduction tonight begins that process.
