Lehighton residents can celebrate the holiday season with a little more joy since there will be no increase in their municipal tax bills next year.

Borough council on a 5-0 vote Monday adopted the 2021 budget with no tax increase. Councilmen Joe Flickinger and Darryl Arner were absent.

The $18,567,000 spending plan will leave the millage rate at 9.5 mills.

That means a homeowner with a home assessed at $50,000 will again pay $475 to the borough next year in taxes.

After the meeting, borough Manager Nicole Beckett explained that council was able to balance the general fund without a tax increase next year.

Beckett noted that “council spent the last month thoroughly reviewing all the details of our 2021 spending plan.”

“The borough will continue to evaluate all funds in 2021, plan for capital projects and follow the impacts of COVID-19 on the borough as a whole,” Beckett said. “They will be continuing the review of the sanitation rates and electric rates throughout the year.”