SAXONBURG — Council approved the borough’s park budget for fiscal year 2026 with an estimated surplus of $25,140.

The $21,000 in budgeted park expenses for 2026 is a steep drop-off from the $96,777 of expenses expected for the end of 2025, which included an $85,000 construction project for a new restroom at Roebling Park.

According to borough manager Steven May, the projected surplus for 2026 is largely due to the presence of the BodyGenesis gym, which has rented Cooper Hall on Rebecca Street as a physical location since 2022.

“We have a long-term tenant that basically handles the bills for us down there,” May said.

Cooper Hall is located at Roebling Park, a borough-owned property which also includes the Saxonburg Museum, the Brooklyn Bridge replica and a playground set to open in November. Rent from the gym allows the borough to apply for matching park grants that otherwise would be out of reach, according to May.

“For any kind of grants, the average is 25% matching,” May said. “If we were going after $100,000, we would need $25,000 in the bank just to apply. Without Genesis Gym, we weren’t making any headway down there.”

One such project is the new restroom for Roebling Park, which is mainly funded by an $85,000 Local Share Account grant from the Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development.

For the year ending 2025, despite spending big on the construction of the new restroom, Saxonburg expects a $35,754 surplus on its park budget.

While the park budget for 2026 has been approved, the same is not true for the rest of Saxonburg’s municipal budget.

“We’re stalemated on that for right now,” May said.