Nov. 15—Greensburg Council has approved a tentative 2024 budget that will keep property taxes at 27.05 mills next year.
But city spending on several potential capital projects won't be determined until spring, including a proposed new fire hall roof that could tap the sun's energy.
Council is considering a balanced budget totaling $12.7 million, not as much as the $13 million that it approved for the year that will soon end.
In a new approach, Councilman Randy Finfrock said, the city will wait until it learns the fate of several pending state grant applications before it makes decisions about possible capital projects it hopes will win approval of the outside funding.
"How we do in the grant process will determine just exactly what capital expenditures we will be having," he said. "If we don't get any (grants), then, in the spring, we'll take care of whatever capital needs are necessary."
Council agreed this week to submit an additional application, seeking $731,000 to replace the roof at the Company No. 2 fire station on Pennsylvania Avenue, a building that was constructed in 1923. The city is competing with other applicants across Pennsylvania for Local Share Account funds generated through gambling revenue in the state.
Finfrock said the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department roof project could draw added interest from funding officials because it proposes to include green technology for solar generation.
He said solar panels at the fire hall would have the potential to generate more than three times the electricity that is consumed at the building, with the excess sold back to the power company.
In September, Greensburg applied for other Local Share Account grants totaling more than $590,000, to cover: improvements to City Hall and other city-owned buildings; two replacement police vehicles; and public works equipment, including a new front loader and an additional box for collecting residents' fall leaf waste.
If approved, money for those three items would come from a separate funding stream: gaming revenue generated in Berks, York and Westmoreland counties, including Live Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield.
Next year's proposed budget includes a 3% salary hike for non-union employees, matching the increase city workers who belong to Teamsters Local 30 will receive in the second year of a five-year contract.
Council is expected to vote on a final version of the budget at its Dec. 11 meeting.
Finfrock said the city is on track to end 2023 in good financial shape, having received 99% of budgeted revenues with two months remaining. Expenditures, he said, are at 82% of the budgeted total.
Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff by email at jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter .