CLEARFIELD, Pa. – Clearfield Borough Council is working on improving the financial picture for the town. The finance committee has been meeting regularly to re-evaluate numbers and come up with solutions.
Finance committee chairperson Barb Shaffner presented several changes to the budget for board approval during Wednesday’s meeting.
Shaffner said she contacted the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs and asked about the legality of making changes to the budget during the year after council members raised questions at a previous meeting.
The representative at PSAB referred her to Title 8, Section 1312, entitled “Modification of budget and supplemental appropriations and transfers,” which states: “The council in its reasonable discretion may, in any year, by motion, modify the budget after its final adoption. New appropriations, supplementary appropriations and transfers from one appropriation to another may be made during the fiscal year, either before or after the expenditure is authorized or ratified after the expenditure is made, if it is within the current year’s revenues, or the money is promptly made available through borrowing as allowed by law.”
Shaffner presented a list of income increases as well as increases and decreases in expenditures to the council, which balanced out at $162,000.
Some of the larger income increases include taxes, from the $1,477,938.93 which was budgeted to $1,485,438.93 with changes to prior years levy from $2,500 to $5,000. She said delinquent taxes also increased from $70,000 to $75,000.
Act 511, which includes taxes on real estate transfer, earned income, local services, mechanical devices and amusement, went from a budgeted $854,500 to $895,000.
Another large increase in revenues is from the parking lot Park & Shop transfer, expected to net $103,318.
Expenses decreased in the mayor’s office from $35,888.45 to $23,324; fire department from $169,372.60 to $148,915; and recycling department from $21,576.05 to $3,637.
Some of the increases in expenses were in police from $1,015,000 to $1,048,784 and interest in the tax anticipation note.
The public can view the borough budget and see the full list of changes at the borough office.
Council also discussed the amusement tax in regard to the Clearfield County Fair this year, with council members acknowledging they cannot make any big changes this year because the fair is only weeks away.
After discussion, there was consensus on charging the 5% on the gate fees and considering options for the midway, with council planning to make a final decision next month on what this year’s tax will be for the fair.
During the motions, council voted to approve appointing Rod Witherite as the future Clearfield Borough police chief. Council is asking for letters of interest from the current staff of the Clearfield Regional Police Department who are interested in working with the borough police department.
