Council holds tax rate steady for next year

Dormont Council voted at Monday to hold the line on taxes for 2021 as it approved a budget with a millage rate of 9.97.

The millage rate equates to property owners paying about $997 in taxes per every $100,000 of assessed property value.

In borough manager Ben Estell’s budget narrative, he wrote that a tax increase had been planned for 2021, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed. Mr. Estell said a tax increase will be needed in 2022, however.

Council President Jeff Fabus said Dormont is in a good position despite the pandemic.

“We are financially strong because of the hard work of Ben Estell and our department heads and working to keep our overhead down and reduce our costs where possible,” Mr. Fabus said.

Mr. Fabus added he was “thrilled” the borough so far did not have to lay off any employees during the pandemic.

“When other communities were laying off staff, we kept our staff on,” he said. “We worked around them working from home and working from the office — finding them space to work safely.

“I think we have bent over backwards to make sure our employees were still getting their full paycheck over the last nine months and we should be proud of that. Hopefully as we continue to move forward with this COVID just exploding throughout the country, that people do the right thing — the smart thing — wear masks, social distance, wash your hands.

“We will get through this together and we will come out stronger on the back end of it.”

In other business, Mr. Estell said a new phone app for the borough should be rolled out by the beginning of 2021.

The app, called “Access Dormont,” will provide residents with information and ways of reporting issues, such as needing snow removal on their street. It will also offer residents push notifications for emergencies.