Hatboro Sets Special Budget Meeting

Six weeks before a municipal budget must be adopted, Hatboro officials are still waiting for "16 different components" to be finalized. 

Besides not having firm numbers for 2014 health insurance rates, Council President John Zygmont said a police contract set for renewal next year is another among many factors making it difficult to adopt the borough's spending plan. 

"We have a lot of balls up in the air on rates on this that and the other thing," Zygmont said during Monday's council meeting. "We’re still trying to get numbers together."

With or without final numbers, the governing body has set a special meeting for Monday at 6:30 p.m. to introduce its 2014 budget. From there, preliminary adoption would follow on Nov. 25 and final adoption is tentatively set for Dec. 16, he said. 

"As long as we don’t run afoul on getting the tax rate right we’re good," Zygmont said. 

If the tax rate will not be ready by Dec. 16, Zygmont said the council could hold a special meeting on Dec. 30 enact a tax ordinance for a different tax rate.

The $1.4 million the borough has spent on the beleaguered Enterprise Fire Co. expansion project will not impact the budget, Zygmont said, because those funds are part of Hatboro's capital budget.