This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article made an error in calculating the shortfall. This error has been corrected.
The Palmyra Borough Council reviewed 2025’s draft budget, which anticipates higher expenditures than revenue, during the Oct. 22 meeting.
Borough manager Roger Powl said the draft shows the borough being $810,000 short. The millage rate, currently set at 4.11 mills, would have to be raised to 5.72 mills to fund the outlined projects, Powl said.
“The increase to the average property owner here, they’d be paying an extra $293.16 per year — about 24 bucks per month,” Powl said during the presentation.
He said the special sewer fund is a major expense for 2025, with the borough looking to relocate and rebuild pump station three located west of West Broad and North Locust streets and purchase a sewer camera and truck among other projects.
The pump station relocation would cost about $750,000. The camera system and truck would cost about $400,000.
There are also some issues regarding borough funding at the beginning of the year, according to Powl. He said Palmyra typically needs $700,000 to get through the first quarter of each year, but this year they’ll have only $426,000.
“That money we had to give to the regional [police], that money disappeared and there’s no way to replace it,” Powl said. “We’re starting out with less.”
The draft budget, which Powl said wasn’t able to be scanned and sent to LebTown, is not final. There are several highlighted numbers throughout the packet that are estimates and subject to adjustment when more information is gathered.
Now, council members will have an opportunity to give feedback and make edits.
“All right council, you know what your job is the next two weeks,” council president Beth Shearer said. “Get your posties and your highlighters out.”
Powl said it will be discussed further at the next meeting on Nov. 12, and council members will need to take action at the second November meeting.
The budget needs to be advertised for 10 days before being adopted by the end of 2024.
“We’re paying more for everything,” councilmember Jane Quairoli said. “That doesn’t make this easier to swallow.”
In other business, council unanimously approved a road closure on South Railroad Street from Main to Cherry Street from 4 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 21 for the Reindeer Night event at the square. Information shared last meeting said Santa will bring one of his reindeer in training along with food trucks and games.
The Palmyra Borough Council will meet next at 325 S. Railroad St. on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.
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