Sewickley property owners will not have to pay more in real estate taxes next year.

Council unanimously voted Dec. 13 to pass its 2023 spending plan, which keeps the tax rate at 6.25 mills.

The borough has not raised taxes for at least the past five years.

Council President Cynthia Mullins said very little changes were made between the preliminary budget in November and its final form this month.

She also commended the borough manager and her team for carefully going over the budget and ensuring all services were maintained despite rising costs.

“Thanks to Donna Kaib’s guidance, we continue to be good stewards for the taxpayers with expenses expected to be under budget while we tackle some significant projects,” Mullins said. “Our biggest asset here is our people. I think we’ve put together a really good team.”

Projected revenues and expenses were listed at about $9.83 million.

Revenues include about $3.1 million from property taxes, $2.04 million from Act 511 taxes such as earned income, $625,000 in parking/highways/streets including meter and parking fines, $430,000 in state capital and operating grants, and $76,350 in business licenses and fines.

Expenses include about $2.28 million for public protection/police; $1.38 million for public works; $594,000 for executive spending, including administrative salaries and benefits; $460,000 for fire protection; $143,000 for solicitor fees; $100,000 for engineering; $50,800 for tax collection; $43,000 for code enforcement.

The 2022 budget was adopted last December with revenues listed at about $9.064 million and expenses at $8.356 million.

That’s a surplus of about $708,000.

Mullins also gave a year-end-review during the meeting in which she highlighted staffing changes and a variety of events that saw a resurgence this year.

“We hired a full-time zoning officer, a director of public works, and a new (administrator),” Mullins said. “We were able to promote two police officers to sergeant. We appointed an emergency management coordinator.

“We demolished two blighted properties. We made a start on the wall project and shoring up Crescent Avenue and began the process of evaluating what our parks need.

“Permanent glass recycling became a reality as did livestreaming of our council (voting) meetings. We bought a new fire truck.

”We racked up a total $520,000 in grants for everything from light poles to HVAC to crosswalks.

“Finally, it feels like we got back to normal in 2022 with a spectacular Memorial Day Parade, Harvest Festival, Halloween (and) Santa parades and another stupendous Light Up Night.”

In other matters

• Council has approved moving its meeting start times and hour earlier for next year.

Workshops will now be at 6 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of the month, and voting sessions will be at 6 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month.

The goal was to get started earlier so hopefully council could conclude business earlier.

“It fits with a lot of people’s schedules,” Mullins said. “It seemed like a good fit, especially for people with families.”

• Council approved Certificates of Appropriateness for 225 Frederick Ave. to install siding to a rear detached garage to match a single-family dwelling and to install white lattice under its front porch;

• for 963 Beaver St. for a retaining wall, patio, kitchen and fireplace;

• and for 529 Pine Road to install a 6-foot, pressure-treated wood fence in the rear yard.

Certificates are necessary to do work on properties in the borough’s historic districts.

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