LEWISTOWN - Lewistown Borough Council adopted the 2013 budget at a Thursday meeting at the Municipal Building, in Lewistown.
The council adopted the roughly $12 million budget with votes of approval from council members John Adams, Matt Moore, Lee Bollinger and Gregg O'Donnell and a vote against from Councilman Larry Searer.
The council approved Ordinances 2012-11, 2012-12 and 2012-13 which address sanitary sewer rents and services, refuse collection fees and real estate tax, respectively, with the only vote against each coming from Searer.
As part of the budget, the sewage rate will increase by 15 percent in 2013. The refuse rate will rise 4 percent for the coming year. The real estate tax will remain the same as it was in 2012.
The council approved Resolutions No. 2012-35 and 2012-36 which were the cost and fee schedule 2013 and the wage and salary resolution 2013, again with the only vote against coming from Searer.
A proposal to advertise having two meetings a month, at 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month, was approved unanimously by the council.
The council approved, with a vote against from Searer, the authorization for the appropriate officers to sign the contracts for the Walnut Street demolition project, contingent upon engineer and solicitor reviews.
Due to the absence of Vice President Russ Rager, who is acting as council president since former president Jim Felmlee resigned Dec. 10, councilman Gregg O'Donnell volunteered and was approved to act as the standing council president for the meeting.
Lewistown Borough Council will now meet twice a month, at 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, in Lewistown. The next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 14.
