The North Huntingdon commissioners last week adopted a $12,324,910 operating budget for 2008 that will keep real estate tax millage at 12.5 for a second consecutive year.
Still, the board is expected to end the year with some unfinished business.
Contract negotiations with the township's Public Works Department employees and seven police dispatchers, who are represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, are at an impasse.
The current agreement will expire Monday. No strike threat is imminent.
Union members are expected to continue working while negotiations involve union representatives, township administrators and a board that will have three new commissioners.
Incumbent 7th Ward Commissioner Donald Austin and newcomers Dave Herold, Anthony Martino and Fred Patter will be sworn in during the board reorganization meeting at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 7.
Current board members would not comment on the talks.
The 2008 spending plan projects general fund expenditures of $10,288,875. It will be supported by 10.2 mills from the general fund, 1 mill for the capital reserve and 1.3 mills for fire services.
One mill generates about $300,000 in tax revenue.
A $4.5 million surplus from this year's budget helped to avert a tax hike, township Manager Kelly S. Wolfe said.
"The surplus not only helped balance this budget, it could be a factor in determining if the township would require a millage increase to support our 2009 spending plan," Mrs. Wolfe said.
Barring unforeseen capital expenditures, the township could end 2008 with a $2 million surplus. The new budget includes salary increases for various administrative directors, assistants and staff.
Mrs. Wolfe will receive an annual salary of $78,330; planning director/engineer Andrew Blenko, $84,038; public works director Richard Albert, $60,769; and parks and recreation director Chandra Scheftic, $41,400.
Other salaries: Assistant Manager Michael Turley, $62,000; public works assistant director Tab Fyock, $52,647; zoning officer/building in-spector Keith Evers, $47,756: code enforcement officer David Stitt, $45,401 and senior planner/GIS coordinator Ryan Fonzi, $41,329.
The board also appointed Mrs. Wolfe to additional duties as township secretary and Mr. Turley as assistant secretary at no additional salaries.
Mrs Scheftic was promoted as the Parks and Recreation Department director. She had served as acting director for the past year.
The budget includes contingencies to support a new contract with Public Works employees and police dispatchers.
First Published: December 27, 2007, 4:30 p.m.
