Borough Budget Update

Although Pottstown Borough Council has yet to be presented with a budget draft, the members of
council's finance committee have.

It is too soon to say if council will be able to avoid raising property taxes for two years in a row, but it is obviously on everybody's mind.

Councilman Dan Weand, who chairs the finance committee, told council that so far he likes the way the borough' finances are shaping up.

"So far, with 75 percent of the year past, we've brought in 85 percent of the revenue and only seen 74 percent of the expenses," said Weand.

"Right now we're running a pretty good ship and that's how we brought in a zero tax increase last year, and we're holding to it," he said.

He credited borough staff with "reaching the benchmarks we set" and noted that another positive budget factor is that tax collections are coming in at a higher percentage than expected.

Dan Weand

"We have to give our staff a lot of credit. They've done a fine job for 75 percent of the year," Weand said.

"We used to budget assuming a 91 percent collection rate," Weand said, "but right now we're approaching 94 percent."

Nevertheless, he was cautious about speaking too soon about next year's tax rate.

"We're not down to a zero yet, and we may not hit it as there are some difficulties being forecast in the coming year," Weand said.

Borough Manager Mark Flanders told council Tuesday night that the process of planning for 2014 is "well under way."

He said council could expect to see a budget draft at the first committee of the whole meeting in November, which is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 6, the day after election day.....