Petersburg Assembly adopts FY2027 budget after community pleas for local grants

The Petersburg Borough Assembly adopted the borough's fiscal year 2027 operating budget on May 18, approving the second reading 7'to'0 and sending the ordinance to its final reading.

Stuart White, development director and interim general manager at KFSK Community Radio, told the assembly the station lost 30% of its federal funding this year and has relied on community support and borough grants to remain solvent. "These are mainly quality-of-life changes for the benefit of our staff," White said, urging continued borough support for the community service grant program.

Bill Tremblay, treasurer of the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department Association, also thanked the assembly for previous grant awards and said his organization has invested tens of thousands of dollars restoring and maintaining antique apparatus that the association seeks to preserve for public events.

Finance staff told the assembly the budget does not assume a large sales-tax increase from the senior exemption change and noted a proposed sales-tax cap measure (to be considered separately) is not included in the budget assumptions. The finance director said the budget work session and materials are available on the borough website.

Mayor Lynn and multiple members praised staff for producing a balanced proposal amid rising operating costs. The ordinance (20 26-09) passed second reading 7'to'0; the assembly will take a final reading before the budget becomes effective.

What happens next: The budget proceeds to its final reading and, if adopted on final reading as expected, will take effect July 1, 2026.