Canonsburg approves advertising budget; tax increase proposed
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For the first time in two years, Canonsburg Borough may raise taxes.
Council voted Monday night to approve advertising its 2024 budget, which is about $6 million and includes a tax increase of .134 mills. The current millage rate is 4.547 mills.
The tax increase will cost about $13 more annually for every $100,000 of a home’s assessed value.
“Our goal, really, is to keep pace with inflation,” said council President Eric Chandler. “At the end of this year, we were at a deficit of $260,000. That was because our revenue hasn’t increased and our expenditures have increased. We’re not trying to tax people, but … it allows us to balance our budget and continue to do some things that we’re doing in the borough with redevelopment.”
The budget, including the tax increase, will be on the agenda for the Dec. 11 voting meeting.
Also on the agenda for December’s meeting will be the sale of the Canonsburg-Houston Joint Sewer Authority.
Canonsburg council voted Monday to table the vote, following Houston Borough’s unanimous decision to sell earlier this month.
“The sewer authority had already voted, Houston had already voted. For us, this is a huge decision. We felt like we were being rushed to make a decision. We want to take the time to think about it,” Chandler said.
Chandler said council will discuss the sale with people who have gone through the process of selling, or voting against the sale of a private authority, and work to get answers to any lingering questions.
Canonsburg residents are invited to a public workshop at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 27 to discuss the potential joint sewer authority sale. The meeting will take place at the borough building, 68 E. Pike St.
Also Monday, council held a conditional use hearing with resident Harold Close, who hopes to open a microbrewery in Canonsburg’s east end.
Parking, Chandler said, is the main issue preventing the microbrewery plans from moving forward. Council will vote to approve or deny the microbrewery during the December voting meeting.