Council proposes $12M budget, holds line on taxes, retains service levels

Advance Correspondent

BRISTOL BOROrdH _ No tax hike, no cuts in services.

For seven years standLng, bRURugh RIfiFLaOs havH bHHn abOH WR bUag abRuW WRHLng WhH OLnH, sprucing up the town, increasing services and not tapping borough residents for more money. In fact, WhH SURSRsHG $12 mLOOLRn 2013 budget is just under $1 mLOOLRn OHss Whan OasW year’s.

“ThH RnOy SOaFH wH’UH going is up. We have based RuU figuUHs Rn IaFWs, nRW MusW hRSH. ThLs Ls WhH UHsuOW of making good decisions anG mHHWLng IUHTuHnWOy wLWh finanFLaO SHRSOH,” saLG bRURugh FRunFLO 3UHsLGHnW 5aOSh DLGuLsHSSH.

HH aOsR FUHGLWHG WhH GLOLgence of borough Manger -amHs DLOORn Ln “NHHSLng Rn WRS RI WhLngs” anG by WhH FRunFLO’s GHWHUmLnation to pay down existing GHbW whLOH nRW WaNLng Rn mRUH GHbW. 3URMHFWHG UHv- enues from deed transfers, buLOGLng SHUmLW UHvHnuH, anG investment earnings are exSHFWHG WR WRS $1.2 mLOOLRn. $nRWhHU $275,000 wLnGIaOO Ls HxSHFWHG whHn WaOmaUW finaOLzHs LWs SOans IRU a 6uSHU WaOmaUW aW WhH BULsWRO CRmmHUFH 6hRSSLng CHnWHU.

DLGuLsHSSH saLG WhaW SOans FaOO IRU WhH HxLsWLng sWRUH WR bH UHFRnfiguUHG anG WR LnFOuGH RWhHU buLOGLngs, LnFOuGLng an adjacent empty store and the DROOaU 6WRUH. ThaW SURMHFW Ls sOaWHG WR bHgLn Ln 2013. $nRWhHU $100,000 Ln saOaUy anG bHnHfiWs wLOO bH savHG IROORwLng WhH UHWLUHmHnW RI a borough street worker who is retiring and whose position wLOO nRW bH fiOOHG.

ThH mLOOagH IRU SURSerty taxes remains at 49.89 mLOOs. ThH avHUagH hRmH Ln the borough is assessed at A16,000 and the average tax bLOO Ls aSSURxLmaWHOy $798. DLGuLsHSSH saLG WhaW SOannHG GHvHORSmHnW, suFh as a SUR- SRsaO IRU 168 nHw hRmHs Rn WhH IRUmHU DLaO sLWH anG WhH SURSRsHG GHvHORSmHnW RI bRaW sOLSs nHaU WhH whaUI aW WhH IRRW RI 0LOO 6WUHHW, shRuOG bring even more revenues into the borough.

“DHvHORSmHnW Ls WhH answHU. ,nGusWUy wLOO nHvHU return to the borough, but if there are more homes and mRUH IamLOLHs SayLng WaxHs, WhaW’s whaW wLOO maNH RuU WRwn flRuULsh,” DLGuLsHSSH said.