SAXONBURG — Property owners will not see an increase in their taxes this year.

Borough council voted at its December meeting to approve the $766,000 budget for 2019.

The tax rate will remain at 22.66 mills per dollar of assessed value, although the budget is up slightly over last year's $744,000.

An additional expense in the 2019 budget is a new full-time police officer position at a salary of $49,000 plus benefits, said Mary Papik, borough manager.

In the past, the police chief was the only full-time officer and several part-time officers rounded out the department, she said.

Officer Kevin Stiles, who has served as a part-time officer on the borough's police force for nine years, is the new full-time officer, Papik said.

The budget also includes the purchase of a new borough vehicle and an increase in the donation to the library from $3,000 to $4,000.

“The library has become a very active part of the borough,” Papik said. “The new librarian, Michelle Lesniak, she's absolutely phenomenal.”

The council members also voted in December to change the public meeting schedule to 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. They formerly met on the first Wednesday.

The 2019 budget will be available on the borough's Web page later in January.