HARMONY — The borough’s finance committee came to council last week with a draft budget that included a 1-mill property tax rate increase and $30,000 in new line-item expenses.

Council may opt to keep taxes flat however, like it has done for the past 12 years.

The $30,000 of new expenses was meant as a “wish list,” council member Jarod Stewart said.

“This is what the finance committee recommended, but it was meant to create debate,” he said.

The committee proposed $20,000 to hire a part-time borough manager and $10,000 for curbs and parking lots.

In 2014, the borough and fire tax rates combined to 12.21 mills. A mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of a home’s assessed value.

A 1-mill increase would generate about $5,000 of additional revenue to help cover the additional expenses, council President Jim Hulings said.

Hulings said he currently handles much of the day-to-day business of the borough, but most municipalities employ a full-time manager.

“It’s clerical work, event planning, working with citizens on complaints; if you look at Zelienople or Jackson they have a full-time person,” Hulings said.

The proposal was only for a part-time manager, though the borough could use someone who works 40 to 60 hours a week, he said.

The borough’s municipal parking lots need curbing and paving work in addition to other budgeted street work, he said.

The borough is set to receive $5,000 from the state from Marcellus Shale impact fees, though that money is earmarked for streets work and the borough parking lots do not qualify, Hulings said.

With such a small budget, the borough doesn’t have much ability to take on new or unexpected projects, Hulings said.

The 2014 budget called for $538,600 in expenses. It also puts about $17,000 of surplus money into a reserve account meant for emergencies.

“I wish we had discretionary spending, but we don’t,” he said.

Council will discuss whether to include the two items and a tax increase at its Nov. 11 meeting.

Borough council has two monthly meetings remaining in 2014. It still has to adopt a draft budget to advertise and approve a final budget before the end of the year.