Shane W Potter

SLIPPERY ROCK — The borough is expected to have a balanced budget with no significant concessions for the upcoming year — as long as the sale of an empty lot on Main Street closes in time.

Borough council voted 5-0 at its meeting Tuesday evening, Oct. 21, to advertise the $1,237,000 preliminary budget, which represents about a $28,000 increase from last year. The increases primarily came from rising costs in salaries and benefits, borough manager Christian Laskey said.

“What you are seeing, basically, is I was able to balance the budget for 2026, if we have no debt,” Laskey told council. “That’s done. So, we should know as of Nov. 30 whether or not we have to amend this.”

Laskey said a portion of the $250,000 the borough will receive in the sale of the 100 S. Main St. lot to Great Living LLC is being planned for use to cover the borough’s remaining debt, which Mayor Jondavid Longo remarked was now under $175,000.

Borough officials will know by Nov. 30, the closing date of the sale, whether they will need to adjust their budget. Originally, the sale was to close by Oct. 31, but council granted Great Living’s request for a one-month extension on Oct. 7.

“We’re in a rare predicament, as far as time frames, and we’re waiting for this Nov. 30 time frame, but we all have a pretty good inkling that it’s hopefully going to come through,” Laskey said.

Before the budget went to a vote, Councilman Paul Lueken asked Laskey if there is room to cut $40,000 from the budget to balance it if the sale does not close in time.

“Yes, but it would be a very difficult year for us,” Laskey told Lueken. “(Salaries and benefits) are set in stone, so now we’re getting into stuff like property maintenance and engineering fees.”

Laskey also mentioned the borough’s reserves as another option.

“Being a public administrator, I never want to dip into the rainy day fund, but that’s also a possibility. You can dip into it just to cover the balance, or you can dip into it just to outright purchase, so we don’t have any more debt. That’s a you-call, but the money is there either way,” Laskey told council.

The next Slippery Rock Borough Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4.