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JERSEY SHORE -- The Jersey Shore Borough Council unanimously approved the 2021 budget, which includes no tax increase and is balanced in expenditures and revenue at $1,836,380.58, and authorized the police commission to continue investigating regionalization via Zoom earlier this week.
Cody Hoover, borough manager, said that the general purpose tax rate has not changed from 8.966 mills, noting that if a borough resident has a property assessed at $100,000 they would pay $896.60 in property taxes.
In this budget, the borough increased the amount they give to the public library from $7,000 to $7,500 and increased the borough manager salary from $55,000 to $60,000.
Hoover also said that there are no plans for large projects in 2021.
The police regionalization feasibility study had been completed and sent to Jersey Shore and Old Lycoming Township to decide how to move forward.
Hoover described the study to have come back with viable points to regionalize the two police stations.
Council unanimously authorized the commission to continue investigating police regionalization and costs involved.
Police commission meetings are the first Monday of the month.
In another business matter, council unanimously agreed to allow Penn Strategies to apply for a $2.5 million dollar grant through the economic development agency to help upgrade the public safety building in the borough.
Trinity United Methodist Church also was granted access to the gazebo on Main Street for outside, COVID friendly services.
The union contract for highway employees was also unanimously agreed upon for the next three years. According to Hoover, the contract is identical to the previous contract and includes a 3 percent wage increase for highway employees per year.
Borough council also approved a re-use plan to authorize SEDA-Council of Governments to use the housing and urban development information that they had used last year to apply for funds for the borough's rehabilitation project with the Community Block Development Grant program.
The recreation committee also discussed that the Jersey Shore YMCA is closed until further notice to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Sean Simcox, council member, also updated the council on the Geisinger helicopter pad, which he said could be completed by the spring.
All members were present, some on Zoom teleconference and some in person. The public were asked to participate via Zoom.
The next Jersey Shore Borough meeting will be held at 7 p.m., Jan. 11.