Cornwall Borough Council approves preliminary 2025 budget with no tax hike

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At last night's monthly meeting, Cornwall Borough Council unanimously approved a preliminary 2025 budget that would be slightly less than the borough's 2024 spending plan.

The preliminary numbers presented to council predict revenue and expenditures next year to be $3,384,268, down from 2024 revenue and expense projections of $3,418,560.

The borough would also carry forward $1,500,000 in 2024 year-end cash on hand.

If the plan receives final approval at next month's council meeting, 2025 will be Cornwall's eighth straight year without a property tax increase. The largest expenses next year will be salaries, benefits, and medical insurance for the borough's 17 to 18 full-time employees.

The 2025 budget also includes $400,000 for a new borough garage. Council president Bruce Harris noted the current garage is no longer large enough for the borough's needs.

Harris reported that at the end of October, with the 2024 83.33% complete, year-to-date revenues and expenses were at 87.39% and 80.12%, respectively, of 2024 budget projections.

Before voting on the proposed budget, council engaged in a back and forth discussion over $47,000 that had been budgeted as an "incentive program" to encourage firefighters to respond to calls. Several council members noted that the fund was exhausted quickly, and suggested that more firefighters than needed were responding to some types of calls in order to take advantage of the incentive.

The fire department had asked for an increase to $60,000, but Harris remarked that "that's just not sustainable for a municipality with 4,600 people and one fire station."

Council member Thomas Burton proposed reducing the amount to $37,000, a cut that council member John Karinch opposed.

In the end, it was agreed that an ad hoc committee including Burton, council member Bruce Conrad, and representatives of the fire company would be formed to explore a resolution.

"4/40" work week gets trial period

Before taking up the budget, council passed a motion putting borough employees, except for police and office workers, on a four-day, 40-hour work week, for a one-year trial period. Council member Anthony Fitzgibbons was the only "no" vote.

Mayor Mark Thomas objected, raising questions about whether the borough's six-man road crew could provide adequate coverage throughout the week under such an arrangement, as well as whether the borough office would be staffed and available to residents throughout the week.

"I can't see not having the office open," Thomas told council. Referring to borough residents, Thomas remarked, "I'm thinking if 1 o'clock on a Friday afternoon I need my borough and they're not there, that's not going to ride good with anybody."

Fitzgibbons questioned the wisdom of going from five days a week to four, emphasizing that the mission of the borough is to serve its residents. "I don't understand the problem we're fixing with this," he said.

Other borough business

Council approved obtaining official email addresses for council members, at a cost of $75 per person per year. As reported last month , some members were worried that using personal email accounts for official borough business could make them the targets of Right-to-Know and Freedom of Information Act requests.

Carl Hott, a resident of the Sycamore Hills mobile home park, complained that the park's owner had removed about 70 trees that were required as a buffer under a land development plan. Council members told Hott that the borough had not given the required approval to take the trees down, and that the matter would be referred to borough zoning officer Jeff Steckbeck.

Borough resident Mike Gallagher complained about trucks going in and out of the PRL Inc. facility on Rexmont Road causing excessive noise with their air horns and jake brakes . "They start at 7 and quit at 4," Gallagher said. Harris asked police chief Brett Hopkins to contact PRL. "They certainly don't want to be a bad neighbor," he said.

Next meetings

Cornwall Borough Council regularly meets on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the borough municipal building, 44 Rexmont Road. Meetings are open to the public and do not require prior registration.