Belle Vernon considering 2-mill road tax
BELLE VERNON — While no regular tax increase is being planned for Belle Vernon, property owners may be subject to a 2-mill road tax in 2017.
During the council’s monthly meeting on Tuesday evening, a motion was passed to advertise for an option to levy a road tax. If adopted, this tax would generate about $59,000 in revenues to pay for various road repairs in the borough.
“We have some major potholes and something needs to be done,” said Mayor Gerald Jackson. “A 2-mill street tax won’t cover all of our needs, but it will be a good start.”
Added Councilman Cliff Gorski, “Our tax base is absolutely flat, and we don’t have any money coming in from Harrisburg. At this point, we don’t have any other options. This tax would be used for road repairs only.”
According to Gorski, the proposed measure would increase each property owner’s tax from $60 to $80 and would be subject to a new vote each year. He added that residents can voice their opinions during a public hearing on Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. The council will then vote on the road tax during its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m.
In other business, the council voted to:
n Select Gateway Engineers as an engineering consultant for the borough
n Sell the borough’s 1991 Ford F350 dump truck and a plow to Steve Kurdilla for approximately $734
n Authorize the police chief to conduct a traffic survey and submit a report to PennDOT for several blinking caution lights that may be set up on Main Street.