EVANS CITY — Residents will see an increase in their property taxes next year, after borough council approved a 5 mill increase in the 2018 budget.

The board unanimously approved the $869,763 budget at a special meeting on Thursday afternoon. The 5-mill increase comes from higher costs for police and stormwater management requirements.

The police commission ratified a new five-year contract with the Evans City/Seven Fields Regional Police Department in September that included salary increases for officers. Of the 5 mill increase, 2.8 mills will go toward police department increases. That hike is about $27,000.

The other 2.2 mills will go to stormwater management costs.

Police department costs have been the topic of discussion at recent meetings, which led police Chief Joe McCombs to present information Thursday on the borough and police department's 10-year budget histories.

McCombs said he compiled the borough and police department's budget histories back to 2009 based on budget documents and audits to show council members how the regional police force has saved the borough money.

“In my opinion, I think forming a regional police department was a positive step for the borough of Evans City,” McCombs said.

He estimated the borough has saved a little over $200,000 since starting the regional force in 2015.

The police budget approved by the regional police commission in November is $705,335 plus capital reserve projects of $36,000. Evans City's contribution to the police — 47 percent of that budget — is $348,427 in 2018, said Tom Smith, Evans City/Seven Fields Police Department administrator.

The increase in stormwater management costs stem from the recently enacted Municipal Separate Storm Sewer mandate that requires the borough to make a plan for stricter stormwater management and pollution control. The mandate requires the borough to reduce sediment in Breakneck Creek by 10 percent in the next five years.

The new millage rate will be 25 mills in 2018. A mill in Evans City is worth about $9,700, said Lee Dyer, borough council president.

This is the first change in the millage rate since borough council voted to reduce the tax rate by 2.88 mills four years ago. That decrease was to offset the projected increase in water and sewer charges needed to pay for a new $10 million waste treatment plant.

Dyer said they also reduced the borough's expenditures by $300,000 over the last three years.