2021 budget includes purchase of closed school building

Commissioners agree to keep current tax rate

Shaler commissioners have set aside $120,000 in their 2021 budget to purchase the now closed Jeffery Primary School building.

The building, located across the street from the township building on Wetzel Road, has been closed since the Shaler Area School District moved students to Scott Primary School when the new school on Scott Avenue opened for the 2018-19 school year.

The district has considered various uses for the Jeffery building since that time.

Shaler commissioners included plans for the purchase at their Dec. 8 meeting, when the 2021 budget was passed unanimously — keeping the 3.49 millage rate the same. Next year’s $13,542,555 budget is $469,527 less than that of 2020, a drop of 3.35%.

“We’re predicting a flat income,” said Tim Rogers, township manager. The budget includes a $1.45 million paving project, with the target streets to be selected at the January meeting. “All departments are fully staffed. There will be no staff reductions.”

But Mr. Rogers expressed disappointment in having to pay the school district for the former

Jeffery school building.

“They should have given it to us,” he said. “Taxpayers built, maintained and expanded the facility over the years.”

Also, he said, it’s located adjacent to Kiwanis Park and could be used to expand the township’s park system. “But we agreed to their offer,” he said.

The parks and recreation department budget will be $1.6 million. That includes Shaler North Hills Library’s contribution of $590,000 and $228,000 for maintenance and upkeep of the township’s dozen parks, one of which, Kiwanis, has the only township pool in Shaler.

Also included in the budget is development of the Eagle Canyon Trail through the valley between Fawcett Fields on McElheney Road and Kiwanis Park on Wetzel Road. It will be a combination walk/bike trail and be funded with a combination of township funds and a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources.

Other parks and recreation projects planned for next year include upgrades to the trout stream and children’s fishing ponds in Fawcett Fields and upgrading the restroom facilities to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Work will be done by Gateway Engineers of Pittsburgh.

Shaler’s public safety department budget will be $5.1 million. “That’s our single largest department,” Mr. Rogers said. The Shaler Township Police Department has 26 full- time officers. The township’s six fire departments — Bauers town, Cherry City, Elfin wild, Sharps Hill, Shaler Villa and Undercliff — will share $400,000, and the Shaler Hampton Emergency Medical Service will receive $130,000.

Next year’s sanitary sewer budget totals $2 million. “We want to continue to meet the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency consent decree,” Mr. Rogers said. Six years ago, local governments were tasked with eliminating the infiltration of stormwater drains from leakage and flooding of sanitary sewers. General maintenance of Shaler lines is also included in that amount.