The Carroll Valley Borough Council approved their 2021 budget in the amount of $2,342,157, nearly $200,000 less than that which was approved for the 2020 budget. The approved budget is even less than the borough’s budget that had been passed for 2019 in the amount of $2,396,409.

In order to avert a tax increase, the council approved cuts in spending … which included the elimination of further consideration of hiring a fourth police officer, and avoiding hiring a code-enforcement officer. Borough Manager David Hazlett has been substituting as the borough’s code enforcement officer in addition to his other duties.

The borough tax-rate remains unchanged at 1.5 mills on real estate, plus a .25 fire-tax.

The Liberty Township supervisors approved their 2021 budget in the amount of $345,840 (less than $5,000 over their 2020 budget), which was approved in the amount of $349,902. The township was able to accomplish this without increasing taxes and without utilizing any of their reserve funds.

While several subcategories of projected expenses increased, virtually all of the increases were for near-negligible amounts. The police department, for example, was budgeted at $100,000 in FY 2020, but was only increased by $200 for FY 2021. $7,000 is also being set-aside annually towards the purchase of a new police vehicle, but the set-aside amount is not yet reflected as part of the police department budget.

Secretarial expenses increased by more than $15,000 over FY 2020 due to the hiring of a part-time assistant secretary-treasurer. Highway and road line item decreased by $10,500, the result of replacing the resigned roadmaster with part-time and seasonal employees

The township tax-rate remains unchanged at 0.816 mills on real estate, plus a .25 mill fire tax.

The Hamiltonban Township supervisors approved their 2021 budget in the amount of $834,910, in which the revenue was projected at $741, 242 and expenses at $834,910.

The difference between the projected revenues and projected expenses was made-up by approving a transfer of $93,668 from the capital reserve and from "other" money allocated to interfund operations transfers. The move resulted in having the money necessary to fulfill projected obligations without necessitating a tax-hike.

Supervisor Coleen Reamer said, "The short and sweet of it is that the board is covering that difference with our transfers from cap res and interfund transfers. Most of our anticipated spending is the same as last year and we feel our revenues will be a little flat, so we are taking this opportunity to pay-down some of our debt with our reserves."

The budget was reduced from the 2020 amount of $1,140,593. The tax-rate remains unchanged from 2020, at 1.4859 mills real estate tax, plus a .25 mill fire and emergency services tax.

The Fairfield Borough Council approved the 2021 budget in the amount of $208,316, a slight increase over the FY 2020 budget of $206,283.

Police services at $76,625, and secretarial/treasurer services at $35,900 were among the highest of the projected expenditures for FY 2021.

The borough tax-rate remains unchanged from 2020, with the millage rate established at 1.532 on real estate, plus a .25 mill fire tax.