During the Bath Borough Council meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 16, council unanimously approved a motion to publicly advertise the borough’s 2025 budget with no anticipated tax increase for residents, which maintains the borough’s 17.45 millage rate.
The 2025 budget also includes a memorandum that states: “While there is no property tax increase anticipated for 2025, residents/property owners are reminded that the MS4 Fund will likely generate its first issuance of the Storm Water Utility fee. These fees are expected to begin by the first or second quarter of 2025.”
During a public sub-committee information session on June 24, the borough announced their consideration of implementing a tiered system for Storm Water Utility fees, but the details are still being worked out.
Based on this system, properties with less than 300 square feet of impervious coverage would be charged $0, properties between 300 and 2,000 square feet would be charged $20 per quarter or $80 per year, properties between 2,001 and 4,000 square feet would be charged $25 per quarter or $100 per year and properties with 4,001 square feet or more would be charged $30 for every 2,000 square feet quarterly or $120 per 2,000 square feet annually.
A GIS database analysis determined that Bath has around 750 single family residential parcels and 4.8 million square feet of impervious area. Out of a 20% sample (150 parcels), the mean impervious area was 3,618 square feet per residential dwelling, whereas the mean of 20% (109 parcels) of the borough’s non-single family and non-residential parcels was 19,231 square feet per parcel.
To accurately determine each property’s amount of impervious coverage, aerial photography will be used. Residents will also be able to file appeals retroactively if they believe their property’s impervious coverage is not properly assessed.
Moreover, since each property’s area of impervious coverage will determine its Storm Water Utility fee, tax-exempt entities that often have significantly larger areas of impervious coverage such as schools, churches and other nonprofits will not be exempt from the MS4 fee.
More information on the impending Storm Water Utility fee can be found on the borough’s website under the MS4 FAQs page.
According to the 2025 General Fund budget, total expenses equal $1,678,645.26. Expense highlights from the 2025 General Fund include the following: $20,236.68 for expenses associated with general government; $3,480 for mayoral expenses; $116,713.94 for borough manager expenses; $67,224.58 for auditing/financial administration; $9,407.57 for tax collection; $106,450 for legal services; $88,000 for secretarial expenses; $15,700 for general government administration; $55,012.40 for IT networking; $29,000 for engineering services; $78,186 for municipal building/property; $25,238.02 for the fire company; $152,826 for UCC/code enforcement; $13,345 for planning/zoning/property maintenance code; $4,600 for emergency management; $3,500 for animal control; $5,500 for environmental advisory; $393,827.20 for Public Works/roads; $10,000 for winter maintenance services; $24,300 for traffic control devices; $37,000 for street lighting; $17,500 for repairs of tools/machinery; $46,500 for maintenance/road repairs; $1,500 for Public Works other services; $5,000 for spectator recreation/culture; $8,000 for community/economic development; $37,877.60 for parks/trails; $9,000 for civic/military/celebration/parades; $55,000 for debt principal; $9,900 for debt interest; $81,480 for ER paid benefits/withholdings; $31,700 for borough insurances; and $119,140.27 for interoperating fund transfers.
Total 2025 General Fund revenues equal $1,678,645.26. Revenue highlights include the following: $888,300 from real-estate taxes; $62,000 from real-estate transfer tax; $440,000 from earned income taxes; $25,000 from local services tax; $75,300 from business licenses/permits; $530 from non-business licenses/permits; $25,800 from fines; $21,257.91 from interest earnings; $40,519.33 from rents/royalties; $40,338.02 from state shared revenues; $900 from payment in lieu of taxes; $4,050 from general government; $14,850 from public safety; $7,800 from highways/streets; and $32,000 from interoperating fund transfers.
General Fund budget expenses for 2025 and revenues are both $71,176.40 higher than those outlined in the 2024 General Fund budget.
Total MSW Fund expenses for the 2025 budget equal $421,521 and revenues equal $428,600. Expenses include $2,700 for delinquent administration, $6,500 for consultants/professional services, $3,200 for general government, $5,000 for office administration, $1,325 for general bank administration, $388,796 for MSW/recycling services and $14,000 for interoperating fund transfers, whereas revenues include $12,000 from interest, $600 from charges for services, $409,000 from sanitation fees and $7,000 from interoperating fund transfers.
Total MS4 Fund expenses and revenues for the 2025 budget both equal $199,250. Expenses include $30,000 for legal services, $10,000 for secretary/office administration, $125,000 for engineering, $20,000 for Public Works, $1,500 for street/gutter cleaning, $5,750 for storm sewer/drains and $7,000 for interoperating fund transfers, whereas revenues include $500 from interest, $182,500 from MS4 fees and $16,250 from interoperating fund transfers.
Total Capital Improvement Fund expenses and revenues for the 2025 budget both equal $324,000. Expenses include $150,000 for general government, $45,000 for IT, $3,500 for engineering services, $10,000 for Public Works, $30,500 for highway construction/rebuilding and $85,000 for parks/recreation, whereas revenues include $2,500 from interest and $321,500 from interoperating fund transfers.
Total Highway Aid Fund expenses for the 2025 budget equal $30,500 for interoperating fund transfers, whereas total revenues equal $70,643.73 from $2,000 in interest and $68,643.73 in Act 44 allocation.
Total Fire Protection Fund expenses for the 2025 budget equal $27,826.25 for fire protection services, whereas total revenues equal $27,834.08 from $26,434.08 in real estate taxes and $700 in interest.
Finally, total Operating Reserve Fund expenses for the 2025 budget equal $20,000 for interoperating fund transfers, whereas total revenues equal $4,100 from interest.
A copy of the Borough of Bath 2025 budget can be found on the borough’s website, bathborough.org.
Bath Borough Council will meet next on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. in Borough Hall, located at 121 S. Walnut St. They will consider adopting the final budget at that time.
