A wage freeze on administrative personnel and the elimination of salary for council members has lessened the amount of a property tax increase that will balance the $4.3 million budget.

Taxes will increase 1.5 mills instead of 1.625 mills, raising the property tax rate to 8.75 mills.

Council approved the budget earlier this month after considerable public comments were made against any tax increase. Council vice president Dan Cindric, Tom Byers and Susan Viola, who opposed the tax increase, voted no.

Each mill will generate approximately $195,000.

Residents with homes assessed at $100,000 will be paying $150 more in real estate taxes next year.

The majority of council rejected suggestions the tax increase could be prevented with budget cuts in the borough's administrative, public works and fire departments. Such cuts would also eliminate certain jobs.

Council also rejected as unfeasible possible cost-savings by sharing various services with neighboring municipalities due to a lack of interest in this course of action by the other communities.

The police department has received $3,785 as part of a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program to purchase night vision.

The new equipment provides state-of-the-art night vision equipment for law enforcement and first responders to perform various night operations.

A check was presented by U. S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair.

• Dan Oberleitner was reappointed to the Municipal Authority board for a five-year term. Doug Price was reappointed to the planning commission for a four-year term.

Lisa Loniero was reappointed to the zoning hearing board for a five-year term.

Also, Dave Sadowski, Dave Paolicelli and Commissioner Bob Schuler were named as board appointments to the Collier Township Firefighters Association.

A research laboratory and office for Baule USA will occupy about 10,000 square feet of a building in McClaren Woods Business Park, the Findlay building inspector reported this month.

Baule, an international company based in France, manufactures machinery and chemicals for the worldwide cast polyurethane market, according to the company's Web site.

The business park is near the McClaren Road interchange of Route 60.

• The police department has received an $8,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program to purchase a mini-thermal monocular, hand-held thermal imager.

The equipment will be used for reconnaissance, surveillance and search & rescue. The check was presented by U. S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair.

Council has adopted a $1.2 million budget that keeps real estate taxes at 8.5 mills and calls for no increases in other taxes or fees, except for a 16 percent hike in the sewer user fee that is being passed on to residents from ALCOSAN.

The new budget will continue to fund a fourth full-time police officer, and set aside additional money for road improvement work and park maintenance, while increasing aid to the Heidelberg Volunteer Fire Department, borough manager Joe Kauer said.

The budget also calls for capital improvements such as the reconstruction of Second Street, traffic signal upgrades, improving access for the handicapped throughout the borough, and adding enhancements like planters, benches, and new lighting to East Railroad Street as part of a Street Scape project.

Work will be paid for from the $1.9 million capital improvement fund running from 2008 to 2010.

• State Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, presented borough council and police chief Vernon Barkley with a $10,000 Department of Community and Economic Development grant for the police department to purchase Tasers, a computer server, and GPS navigation equipment for the borough's three police cruisers.

Sen. Fontana said while he hopes to make more grants to Heidelberg in 2009, the state's budget shortfall for 2009, currently projected at $1.6 billion, could make it harder for new grant applications to be approved.

• Ryan McIntyre was hired as a full-time police officer.

• Trash collection day will change from Friday to Wednesday, effective the week of Jan. 5.

Pickups will be Saturday this week and next week because of the holidays. The first Wednesday pickup will be Jan. 7.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded a $45,125 grant to the volunteer fire department for operations and safety.

The grant for the Beaver County department was part of a $2.6 million grant program for fire departments throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region in Round 16 of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.

Volunteers are invited to join the McDonald Area Redevelopment Association, which meets at 6 p.m. the first Thursday of each month in the McDonald Trail Station, 160 S. McDonald St.

The nonprofit organization works to attract business development, organize community beautification and sponsor holiday event celebrations.

Membership is open to businesses and individuals.

For information, call 724-926-4617.