Slippery Rock Borough Council convened Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in the Slippery Rock Borough Building to discuss advertising and final adjustments to the 2025 budget, among other items.
2025 budget
In adherence to the recently updated Section 1307 of Pennsylvania’s Borough Code, the council will be permitted to approve the 2025 budget with minimal changes within 10 days of advertising. The next eligible meeting to approve on the 2025 budget is Dec. 3.
The largest changes to the 2025 budget from the 2024 rendition are employee healthcare benefits, rising from $67,241 in 2024 to $91,420.48 in 2025. The rising healthcare costs were the biggest obstacle, according to Council President Jeff Campbell.
The ethos behind the 2025 budget revolved around “trimming the fat,” according to Campbell.
Most cuts were made in supplies and materials, as noted by Campbell in the previous borough council meeting covered by The Rocket on Nov. 5.
Other notable changes include police department funding increasing around 10%, from $354,335 to $391,903, including a roughly 7.5% increase in total salary costs and a roughly 3% raise for the police chief position. Salaries and stipends for the mayor, council and borough manger saw no increase. Street department costs rose slightly under 8%. Revenue overall for the borough increased from 1.18 million to 1.2 million.
This is the eighth consecutive year of no tax raises in the borough. The 2024 and 2025 budget for the Borough of Slippery Rock can be viewed here.
Other approved motions
The council voted unanimously to authorize a Department of Community and Economic Development Local Share Account (LSA).
The extent of the grant was covered in last meetings report by The Rocket here.
The council also voted unanimously to appoint Tom McPherson to a five-year term on the Slippery Rock Municipal Authority Board starting on Jan. 1, 2025.
Police report
Citations continued to increase, resulting in a high for fall 2024. 25 criminal and non-traffic citations and 29 traffic citations were issued in October. This is up from 23 traffic citations noted in the Oct. 17 meeting.
“This year’s homecoming was quite mild,” Mayor Jondavid Longo said. “Nonetheless, busy time for our department.”
Turkey event
SA Recycling purchased 50 turkeys to give to families in need for Thanksgiving.
Food item donations are also being accepted at the Borough Building or at SA Recycling’s office on Route 108. Collection will go until Nov. 22 and distribution of the turkeys and food items will be held at the gazebo on Nov. 25 from 4:30 p.m. until supplies runs out.
The event is based on a first-come first-serve basis and requires no identification for eligibility, according to Longo.
