ZELIENOPLE — Borough council on Monday approved a roughly $12 million total budget for 2022, which includes a 1-mill fire tax increase, the creation of a new governmental department and roughly $4 million in general fund expenditures.

The 2022 budget is about a 3.6% increase from the current year's, but underneath the surface there are some significant changes to how the borough handles certain government functions and services.

Borough manager Don Pepe said last week that Zelienople plans to, with its 2022 budget, take on the day-to-day operations of Zelienople Community Park, which has been under the auspices of the parks board. Zelienople, under the previous arrangement, owns the land and structures and is responsible for capital improvements.

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