SEVEN FIELDS — Despite a projected 5.8% increase in needed borough contributions, the cost apportionment between Evans City and Seven Fields for its joint police department will remain the same in 2021.

The 2021 Evans City-Seven Fields Regional Police Department budget, passed by the police commission unanimously Monday, expects a 4.6% increase in expenditures next year. Combined with a 4.4% decrease in outside revenue, more of a burden will be placed on the participant boroughs to fund the 10-officer department.

Seven Fields will continue to pay for 61.5%, or more than $506,000, of the department's deficit. The apportionment is unchanged from 2020, but the borough will spend nearly $30,000 more. Evans City will, in turn, pay 38.5% of the deficit, amounting to $316,930, roughly $17,000 more than its budgeted 2020 contributions.

Despite the increases in individual borough contributions, joint police administrator Tom Smith said the increases were “minimal.”

“Overall, the budget ended up coming in at $823,196 (in borough contributions),” he said. “We do have a capital reserve, where we put monies in for another (license) plate reader, but overall I think it's a pretty conservative budget.”