Jan 11, 2018 By Mark Soroka for The 4 min read

A delay in signing off on the budget for 2018 has left West Newton without a spending plan in place.

At a meeting this week, council said that final approval of the 2018 budget will be delayed until February.

Charles Krasnevich, new president of the West Newton council, said the budget has posed significant challenges for the borough.

“The price of everything has gone up this year, from insurance to benefits to pensions,” said Krasnevich, during the council’s monthly meeting Tuesday evening. “On top of that, we are being asked to come up with $15,000 to take care of some upgrades for West Newton’s swimming pool. It’s getting harder to make ends meet.”

A proposed budget introduced in December called for a 2-mill tax increase — the first tax hike borough residents have faced in 15 years. However, during a special meeting Dec. 28, Mayor Mary Popovich held off signing the paperwork because she had some concerns about the budget.

“I wasn’t comfortable signing the budget until everyone on the new council had their say,” said Popovich. “Also, I thought it would be beneficial to bring new sets of eyes into this process. I think there are still ways we can improve the budget before it is passed.”

New council members include Charles Krasnevich and Charles Popovich.

During a reorganization meeting on Jan. 2, the new council reopened the budget and asked its budget committee to begin reviewing line items. The committee will present recommendations at a workshop meeting early in February before the council votes on the final budget during its regular meeting on Feb. 13.

Popovich said she’s hopeful council looks for ways to cut unnecessary and duplicative services before raising taxes.

“It would be difficult for many of our seniors to pay higher taxes because they are living on a fixed income,” said Popovich. “At the same time, our borough has to keep up with higher infrastructure and services costs. It may very well be that our council will have to raise taxes. But we owe it to our taxpayers to make sure we look for ways to cut expenses before increasing taxes.”

Councilman David Tamasy Sr. said “all options” remain open for him, including a tax hike, if necessary.

“We would like to avoid raising taxes because that’s especially tough for older people and those on fixed incomes. But we have to come up with a budget that’s best for West Newton,” Tamasy Sr. said.

“The council is going to take a closer look at some of the line items,” said Councilman David Tamasy Jr. “We want to see if there are any additional ways to save money. Also, we want to check if the borough is getting any more grant money. It’s better to get this right before the final budget is locked in.”

During the monthly meeting, council also passed a resolution establishing rules and regulations for conduct at public meetings, including a 5-minute limit for individual comments. Council members, borough employees and other attendees who do not comply with the rules may be escorted out of the building, officials said. This resolution was implemented after council experienced a disruption at its last meeting because of a prolonged argument between several council members.

In other business:

n Solicitor Tim Witt told council that he will help the borough negotiate a new cable franchise agreement this year. The borough’s present contract with Comcast will expire at the end of 2018.

n Councilwoman Arlene Tomich reminded residents that they are required to clear sidewalks of trash cans after the garbage is picked up. “This is becoming a nuisance,” she said. “Not only is this unsightly, but it also poses a safety hazard and is unsanitary. We won’t tolerate it any longer.” Officials are exploring the possibility of implementing an ordinance to allow the borough to remove trash cans from the sidewalks and bill homeowners who are not complying with the regulations.

n Borough Secretary Pam Humenik said residents will be receiving brochures in the mail, updating them about West Penn Power’s plans to install smart meters at homes and businesses. More information about the smart meters is also available on the borough’s website.