Tax Hike to 10 Mills Passes in Renovo Borough

RENOVO – A real estate tax hike of 1.5 mills was approved on a 5-2 vote by Renovo borough council last week.

Supporters said it was needed to balance the borough’s $366,350 general fund budget for 2014.

Those voting for the budget included borough council president Randy Bibey and council members Rhonda Balchun, Sue Cannon, Kaari Kepler and Colleen Testa.

Voting no were Paul Fantaskey and Merry Ann Olshefskie.

Olshefskie had said earlier she would not vote for the budget if it included tax hikes for borough employees. And Fantaskey said the police should not get pay raises through a tax hike. “There are too many people who are behind on taxes now because of the last tax hike,” Fantaskey said.

Cannon said no money from the tax hike would go towards borough employee wages.

The vote for the tax increase came on an identical 5-2 vote but outgoing borough Mayor Don Pagnotto said he would veto the hike.

Balchun estimated the tax hike impact on borough residents would vary between 50 cents and $1 per week. The current Renovo real estate levy is set at 8.51mills; after the first of the year that number will be 10.1 mills.

Bibey announced he will be resigning from his post effective Jan. 2; health reasons were cited.

Council said it would investigate whether a “hose fee” of $15 could be imposed on borough residents, including those residing in Clinton County Housing Authority units.

The proposal came from borough resident Bob Shank. He and council member Testa attended a recent Housing Authority meeting; Shank said such a fee would be a way for the borough to increase the income it gets from the housing authority units in Renovo.