Council balances budget without tax increase

Monroeville is holding the line on taxes for 2018, unanimously approving a $33.5 million budget and a property tax rate that is unchanged at 4 mills.

About $1 million from the fund balance is being used to balance the 2018 budget, which leaves the municipality with a total unassigned fund balance of just less than $10 million.

Included in the new budget is an upgrade to Monroeville’s public safety communications equipment from VHF to UHF, which costs about $1.1 million.

The change in frequency has been needed since the early 2000s, when police departments began using Allegheny County 911 dispatch centers. Monroeville maintains its own dispatch center so the change was not immediatelyneeded. However, the current equipment is at the endof its useful life.

Municipal manager Tim Little said the equipment hasbeen ordered from Motorola.

The budget sets aside $300,000 for road improvements, $50,000 for an additional dispatcher, $10,000 for a part-time receptionist and $15,000 for a part-time Rightto-Knowofficer assistant.

Also at its Tuesday meeting, council approved a request from A.R. Building Co. to rezone two properties between Evergreen Drive and Interstate 376 so that it can build an apartment complex of about 80 units on the 5-acre site. Monthly rents for the apartments are expected to range from $900 to $1,800.

The rezoning will change the lots from special use and business to multi-family residential.

A.R. Building Co. owns and operates several apartment complexes in the region, including Chatham Commons of Cranberry, Parkside Estates in Canonsburg and Crossroad Towers in the Baldwin area.

Council also granted site plan approval to the Imamia Organization of Pittsburgh to construct an 8,419square-foot church and associated amenities at 351 Old Haymaker Road.