The Schuylkill Township Supervisors adopted a 2025 budget with no tax increase, but with some police coverage.

The supervisors voted 2-1 in November to advertise a tentative budget that will include ten hours of police protection, but avoid a property tax increase.

That was the final budget they adopted Monday night.

When considering the tentative budget, the supervisors had before them two proposed budgets — one with 30 hours of police protection — but with a 3.5-mill property tax increase, the first increase in township property taxes since 2008.

The other budget had no tax increase, but no police coverage. It was that budget that was supported by Supervisor Gary Feathers.

Supervisor Charles Fayash proposed putting 10 hours into the budget for police, and trying to find places in the budget from which money could be moved, or if the township could obtain a grant. Adding those 10 hours into the budget put the spending plan $31,000 over, but the supervisors hope to find budget cuts during the year to balance the spending plan

Fayash was hesitant about disbanding the police force and allowing state police to cover the township because the township has had a hard time finding new officers to hire for its part-time department that is on duty for 40 hours per week total.

Supervisor Mike Boyle also was concerned the township department completely, if more funding could be identified. So Boyle voted with Fayash to approve the budget with no tax increase and 10 hours for the department until more funding can be identified.

Another reason to keep the police department is that officers also do township code enforcement, which would have fallen to Mark Buccieri, the township’s road foreman. Buccieri is also short-handed because a part-time worker who resigned has not yet been replaced.

The supervisors did vote to abandon a police coverage contract they had with neighboring Middleport borough.

New garbage policy

The supervisors are working on an ordinance to penalize those who owe large garbage collection fees.

A new ordinance that the supervisors are expected to advertise for adoption is that anyone who owes $750 or more will get a lien placed against their property, plus be on the hook for legal fees incurred to file the lien.

The supervisors expect to vote next month to advertise the ordinance once it is drafted. So it will be February before the ordinance is adopted.