Elizabeth Township: No tax increase in budget proposal

By Christine Haines

chaines@yourmvi.com

Elizabeth Township commissioners have posted the tentative 2021 budget with no tax increase.

The balanced budget includes anticipated general fund revenue and spending of $7.73 million. The sanitary budget calls for $4.2 million in spending with anticipated revenues to support it without a rate increase, according to interim office manager Greg Butler.

“The sewage budget is a lot different from last year,” Butler said.

The 2020 budget didn’t include anything for bond debt service, while the 2021 budget includes $1.7 million to cover the bond interest for the force main being installed to take sewage to the McKeesport treatment plant. 

The budgets are posted online on the township website for public review prior to the final vote at a special meeting at 10 a.m. Dec. 28.

Regarding the sewerage project, John Mowry of KLH Engineering told commissioners that bids for the pump station portion of the project will be advertised this week, but they are not expected to be awarded until March. 

Mowry said the long lead time for companies to prepare the bids should result in lower prices.

Commissioners passed a resolution for a merger of Elizabeth Township Volunteer Fire Department and Central Volunteer Fire Company to be called Elizabeth Township Volunteer Fire Department No. 1. It is one of many steps on the road to completing the merger that would bring Central under the same administrative umbrella as Greenock and Blythedale fire stations.

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