VALENCIA — Talks between the borough and St. Barnabas Health System regarding funding of the borough’s emergency services are progressing “very well,” according to Shanon McKenna, borough council member.

“I met with St. Barnabas on sharing emergency services costs,” McKenna said during a council meeting Monday night, Oct. 27. “The meeting went very well. St. Barnabas recognizes the need to have good emergency services available to all residents.”

Meetings between the borough and the health system have been made necessary because the borough is facing a budget shortfall for 2026, with emergency services as one of the major expenses.

St. Barnabas owns a combined 126.031 acres in the roughly 218-acre borough, through its two senior living facilities — The Arbors and The Woodlands. Since St. Barnabas is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, the borough is unable to collect real estate taxes on any of that property, severely limiting its annual revenue.

Per capita taxes are also limited, since many of the residents of the borough are retired seniors who live at the two facilities.

McKenna said the health system’s willingness to cooperate with the borough to assist in funding its emergency services is welcome.

“We’re in discussions about them making financial contributions to the borough to cover emergency service costs and other expenses,” McKenna said. “An exact figure hasn’t yet been decided upon, but they recognize that their residents need those emergency services.”

Further meetings are planned between the two sides, according to McKenna.

In a related matter, the borough voted to renew its existing contract with the Adams Township Police Department for one year for an amount “not to exceed $32,700 a year.” The contract was to expire at the end of 2025. The borough had engaged in preliminary talks with both the Pennsylvania State Police and the Saxonburg Police Department prior to the renewal.

The borough receives fire services from the Middlesex Township Volunteer Fire Department and emergency medical service from Quality EMS.