Elizabeth OKs budget with no tax increase

The borough has gone four years without raising property taxes.

Elizabeth Borough council approved a 2026 budget with no tax increase at Tuesday’s meeting.

Under the budget, total revenues and expenditures are both estimated at $990,275. The owner of a home assessed at the borough average of $54,100 will continue to pay $541 in municipal taxes with a millage rate of 10.0.

The borough’s fire tax is 0.5 mills.

President Tim Guffey thanked Borough Manager Scott Craighead for working to avoid a tax hike.

“Basically, now in six years, I think we’ve only raised the taxes one time many years ago,” Guffey said. “So for the last four years we have gone to zero mills in increases, and we are still pretty much able to do that and still have a nice balance. So that is good.”

Council also passed resolutions to appoint Mark Turnley CPA to audit its 2024 finances and to enact estate tax credits for eligible volunteer.

They also approved resolutions to apply for a $500,000 MultiModal Grant and to donate $3,000 to Elizabeth Area Development Corporation to support community events.

The full budget can be viewed at 121 North Second Ave. The borough phone number is 412-3847771.

Municipal authority sale

Council also accepted the filing of a certificate with the Pennsylvania Department of State to terminate the Elizabeth Borough Municipal Authority.

Pennsylvania American Water announced Dec. 17 it acquired the wastewater system for $28 million.

According to Craighead, the sale finalized this week, and the borough is in the process of concluding business at the authority with all funds being transferred to the borough.

There has been some cleanup at the public works garage because of the sale, Craighead said.

The newly acquired wastewater system serves approximately 660 direct customer connections in the borough, and Pennsylvania American Water already provides water service to these customers.

It also serves approximately 1,500 indirect customers in Lincoln Borough and Elizabeth and Forward townships.

Over the next five years, Pennsylvania American Water plans to invest more than $25 million in improvements to the EBMA wastewater system to meet regulatory, safety and security standards while keeping rates affordable for customers, according to a company press release.

EBMA agreed to sell its wastewater system to Pennsylvania American Water in January 2023, citing the system’s infrastructure investment and regulatory compliance needs and highlighting that proceeds from the sale would be used to fund other township capital improvement projects.

“Throughout this competitive bid process, Pennsylvania American Water has reaffirmed its longstanding reputation as an excellent community partner who is dedicated to providing high-level service,” Elizabeth Borough Mayor Barry Boucher said at the time of the agreement. “The sale of our sewage system will relieve the need to continually invest in an aging system and enables our historic town to focus on more important community needs, such as taking Elizabeth back to our vibrant, traditional roots.”

Pennsylvania American Water will adopt the rates currently charged to the system’s customers. Any future changes to rates must be reviewed and approved by the state Public Utilities Commission.

Guffey said the treasurer’s report numbers for November and December might look different because of the sale and transactions with the sewer authority.

“That would be nice to see,” Guffey said. “That’s what we’ve been working toward for five years.”

Solicitor Gary Matta announced the sale again at last month’s regular meeting.

The PUC, which regulates the company’s rates and service rules, approved the acquisition Oct. 9, 2025.

“There are a couple things that are still outstanding which in whole were some easement issues. So there is some money escrow to handle those issues,” Matta said. “No matter how that comes out to be, some funds will still come back to the municipality. Besides that, it all went well and it came out a little better than we actually expected it to be.”

In other business:

• The borough’s reorganization meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 5, with Dana Cress leaving and new council member Emily McNeil entering.

• Council authorized Craighead to advertise the 2026 meetings.

• Rates were approved for several borough employees. Solicitor fees are $110 an hour, Dwayne Lewis increased to $26.60 per hour and council member Cole Buchina increased to $24.30 per hour.

• The borough manager is approved to be with council from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2027, and will be paid $73,500 for 2026.