Slippery Rock Borough to advertise proposed 2027 budget
SLIPPERY ROCK — Borough council voted at its meeting Tuesday night, Oct. 6, to advertise its proposed 2027 budget.
Although final numbers for expenditures and revenues are currently unavailable, council member Paul Lueken said during Tuesday night’s meeting the proposed budget calls for no tax increase.
As currently written, the 2027 budget includes few major changes from the 2026 budget. Most, according to borough manager Christian Laskey, have to do with staffing changes at the borough, including the potential addition of a fifth full-time officer for the Slippery Rock Borough Police Department.
With a fifth full-time officer, Laskey said the borough will reduce its reliance on part-time officers.
“We’re going to drop the part-time hours from $18,000 down to $10,000,” Laskey said. “But with that fifth full-time officer, we’re going to pick up a lot of hours that aren’t covered right now.”
In the capital purchases category, council approved purchase of a new 2027 Dodge Durango cruiser for the borough police department at a price of $63,193.15.
According to Laskey, the new cruiser is a “slicktop,” meaning that it will not have the traditional emergency lights attached to the roof.
Repairs of the borough’s maintenance garage roof has also been budgeted for $60,000.
“It’s a 100-by-50 (foot) roof. The quote came in at about $52,000, so I budgeted $60,000 for that repair,” Laskey said. “That wasn’t on this year’s budget, but you’ll see it on next year’s budget.
“Other than that, we’re just looking at typical wage, benefit and salary increases.”
Laskey expects council members will vote on the budget by the first or second meeting in November.
Council also approved a $78,500 bid from New Castle-based ProTech Asphalt to perform the first phase of paving work along West Water Street from the North Main Street intersection to the township line.
The first phase would involve repairs to the asphalt base, followed by a second phase of applying the top coat.
According to Laskey, the road has been left in rough condition due to a series of heavy storms in Slippery Rock Borough earlier this year.
“We’re getting so many complaints about the issues, and the floods that we have had this year have really taken a toll on that road,” Laskey said.
