Council to issue $500,000 bond for expenses

LEWISTOWN - Faced with some overdue large purchases in 2010, the Lewistown Borough Council adopted a 2010 budget on Monday evening without having to increase taxes for residents.

During the council's end of the year meeting on Monday, it discussed numerous purchases it would need to make in 2010 to replace outdated and unsafe equipment currently being utilized by borough employees. Members of the council said some of the purchases slated for 2010 were long overdue. In order to make those purchases, the council will need to issue a bond for $500,000 to be repaid during a five-year span.

Members of the finance committee, which is responsible for formulating a budget along with borough staff, said taking on the debt was a more viable solution to enable the purchases, rather than raise taxes for the borough residents.

Council member Nelson Rieffannacht said he had concerns regarding "putting us (council) into debt for $500,000," and with the council's decision to leave the Mifflin County Regional Police Department in 2011, it also could be facing unknown costs associated with leaving the organization. Berrier said there was "no other way to do it," in response to Rieffannacht's comment.

Rieffannacht and Larry Searer were the only council members to cast dissenting votes against the 2010 budget adoption.