SAXONBURG — Property taxes in the borough are looking to stay the same in 2016.

Last month, borough manager Mary Papik proposed a $700,000 budget with a level tax rate.

However, a discussion about the possibility of hiring an additional full-time police officer led to Papik looking into increasing taxes.

Papik initially estimated another full-time officer would cost an additional $15,000 to $18,000 a year after figuring in the savings from fewer part time officers.

That amount would have led to a tax increase of about 1.5 mills. A mill generates $1 in tax for every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value.

Chief Joe Beachem is the borough’s only full-time officer. It has 10 part-time officers.

Mayor Pam Bauman made the initial request for another full-timer. However, after realizing how angry residents could be about a tax increase, she changed her mind.

“That would be the last thing in the world we want,” Bauman said.

With this, the $700,000 budget for next year will have the same tax rate as with the current budget.

The borough’s property tax rate is 20.66 mills. Residents also pay an additional debt service tax totaling 2 mills.

She and Beachem are looking at the budget and looking for places where more money can come to go toward the officer. Additionally, she said there are grants available that can be used to hire an officer.

If everything works out, she thinks that an additional officer could be hired next year.

Until an extra officer is hired, Bauman said she and Beachem will be changing the way they schedule officers to increase coverage. She praised the part-time officers, but said it is hard to schedule them around their other jobs.

Council will vote on the budget Dec. 2.