Leetsdale holds line on taxes in 2021 spending plan

Leetsdale council held the line on property taxes and reduced another tax when it ratified the borough’s spending plan for 2021.

The borough projects its revenue to come in at $2.6 million, a surplus of $126,000 when compared to its $2.4 million projection in expenditures.

Council president Wesley James said the leftover funds will go into the borough’s rainy day fund.

Council voted 6-1 during its Dec. 10 meeting. Councilman Roger Nanni dissented. The councilman was not immediately available to comment.

Lowering the borough’s road and infrastructure tax from 2 mills down to 1.5 mills leaves room in next year’s budget to possibly create a new tax to help out Leetsdale’s fire company, said Mayor Peter Poninsky.

The 2021 budget allocates an “annual donation” of $62,000 to the fire department, according to the spending plan.

James said the roads and infrastructure tax was originally designated to raise money to spend on the borough’s roads around five years ago. He said council has since considered eliminating the tax altogether, but now includes expenditures on infrastructure like the borough’s sewer system and pipes.

James said the borough loses out on around $70,000 by lowering the road and infrastructure tax by a half mill.

“We’re in a decent situation, where we have a good stream of revenue coming in from taxes – a lot of it comes from the large industrial parks in town,” James said.