At its Monday meeting, Evans City Borough Council approved an $885,000 budget for 2021 that continues its one-half mill decrease in street light tax from last year.

The decrease started last year when the borough dropped the 2020 street lighting tax levy. Former council president Lee Dyer attributed it to the use of more energy-efficient light fixtures.

Evans City's 2021 budget overall represents a roughly 2% decrease from its 2020 budget, with dips in both real estate and earned income taxes.

The borough projects a smaller amount of revenue from the state's liquid fuels tax, with about $50,000 expected in 2021 as opposed to the projected $55,000 in 2020. It will, however, utilize more funds than it has in 2020, as it budgeted $15,000 from prior year fuels tax revenue in 2021.

The borough also approved the disbursement of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funding to EDCO Park this year.

“They would like to have that prior to Jan. 1, and that's fine,” secretary Beth Crowley said. “I can cut them a check.”

Council further discussed a street-sign ordinance, which was not officially passed at the Monday meeting.That ordinance is due to 1st Street in the southern end of the borough, which is zoned for both construction and residential fixtures. According to councilwoman Diana Zoelle, a resident on that street has said he has received mail for a business, and vice-versa.The ordinance will designate part of the road — which runs east-west — as 1st Street South.“There's a mix-up in the mail because part of the street is in the commercial district and part of the street is in residential, but that designation wasn't clear, so it's all 1st Street,” Zoelle said. “What they're trying to do is establish 1st (Street) South as commercial.”Crowley said another project pertaining to signs will be the cleaning up of foliage in front of signs, particularly stop signs.“We're going to go through town and make sure all of the street signs are visible — the important ones, especially, like stop signs,” she said.Councilman Brad Rubinosky said the Lions Club along with the Evans City Volunteer Fire Department will have Santa Claus go around the borough on Saturday, separate from the upcoming Santa caravan.