MAHANOY CITY - The borough council recently tentatively adopted its 2013 operating budget that holds the line on taxes.
Councilman Raymond Cavenas provided a brief report on the balanced budget that includes the following taxes: General fund, 22.115 mills; sinking fund, 1.65 mills; street lighting fund, 3.35 mills; debt reduction fund, 2.835 mills; library fund, 0.474 mills.
One mill brings in $18,500 for the borough.
"And the budget includes no tax increase for the year," Cavenas said.
The council voted unanimously to tentatively adopt the budget and advertise it, with plans to formally adopt it at the December meeting. It is available for inspection in borough hall.
Borough Manager Daniel Lynch said there is not much difference between the 2012 and 2013 budgets.
"It (the 2013 budget) is slightly lower than the 2012 budget," Lynch said. "We lowered the general fund millage and raised the debt reduction millage slightly in turn. The things you'd expect to go up went up slightly, like fuel and health insurance. We did catch a break that our workers compensation insurance ... has come down a bit."
With the resignation of Thomas E. Oblas as borough council president at last month's meeting, the council unanimously elected Vice President Patti A. Schnitzius, a Republican-Herald employee, as president. Tom Maziekas was elected to fill the vice president's seat .in a unanimous vote.
"I am honored that they selected me as council president and hopefully going forward we can make the borough a better community by working together," Schnitzius said after the meeting.
In other business, the council approved advertising for a full-time streets employee to fill a vacancy.
During the public portion, resident Steve Sisak asked about the vacant properties at 416-418 W. Centre St., which are next to his home. Sisak regularly attends the council meetings to speak about dilapidated properties that are posing safety and health hazards.
At a previous meeting, Sisak and others were informed that the properties were in bankruptcy, with borough solicitor Michael A. O'Pake explaining that the borough cannot do much about them, including citing the property owner, Cristy Sacks, due to bankruptcy protection.
Sisak asked O'Pake on Tuesday about the status of the properties and O'Pake said he had sent a letter to Sacks' attorney asking for Sacks to turn over the property to the borough so steps can be taken to apply for demolition funding to remove the property.
"I know you and your neighbors are experiencing damage and it has gone on too long," O'Pake said.
"I have not received a reply to my letter," he continued, "but I will call the attorney tomorrow. One thing I asked in the letter was if the bankruptcy was dismissed. There have been rumors that it had, and if that's the case, we can begin citing her again, and if that forces her to come to the magistrate, maybe she would sign the deed of the property over to the borough, but I first have to confirm if the bankruptcy has been dismissed."