HARMONY — Borough council voted to reopen its 2016 budget Tuesday evening.

Council members said some adjustments have been proposed for items that they want to consider.

“When we made the initial budget, it was the middle of November,” council President Greg Such said. “We didn’t have the end-of-the-year numbers from 2015 yet.”

One of the items is a proposed tax increase for the Harmony Fire District from 1.15 mills to 1.5 mills, a roughly $2,400 increase.

The fire department requested Harmony, Zelienople, Jackson Township and Lancaster Township, areas the fire district covers, adjust their millage rates to “be on the same page.”

“Typically there aren’t a lot of complaints,” said fire district President Tim Sapienza. “They (residents) will see a few dollars on their bill.”

While Zelienople was asked to decrease from 3 mills to 2, the other areas were asked to adjust their millage rates to 1.5 mills.

But not all council members agree on the increase.

Council member Don Sims said he believes the money to fund the fire department should be taken out of the general fund.

“I don’t want to raise taxes,” Sims said. “A lot of people aren’t here tonight who live in my area.”

However council member David Szakelhydi said money from the general fund should be used for projects the borough needs to have done this year.

Projects include roof repair or replacement for the borough garage and repair for a collapsing underground drain pipe on Main Street causing potholes.

“I don’t want to be robbing stuff out of the general fund when we talked about this last month,” Szakelhydi said. “You’re going to have to raise taxes somehow. We’ve been deferring those projects. We can’t keep deferring them.”

Sapienza said Harmony would be paying the least amount out of the four areas.

Such said people would know where the money is going to when residents receive their bills.

He also said the tax will “not be much” per household if passed.

Sims said he is glad council is letting people know where the money is exactly going to.

Council voted to not increase the fire tax when it passed the budget in December. Such was not present at that meeting.

Other budget items considered for adjustment include streets, maintenance and the pension fund contribution.

Council will continue its meeting Feb. 15, the deadline for when the final budget needs to be passed.