SAXONBURG — Borough council finalized its budget for the 2025 fiscal year during its monthly meeting on Tuesday night, Dec. 17. The budget will include a 1.5-mill tax increase — the first tax hike for borough residents since 2013.

“We worked and worked to try to trim it down to as low as possible,” said council member Dave Johnston. “We’re hopeful that, with this mill-and-a-half increase, we will be set now for years to come without having to worry.”

The general tax rate for residents of Saxonburg will be raised to 22.16 mills from its previous 20.66. This is in addition to the county’s tax rate of 27.626 mills, as well as the 96.275 mills imposed by the Knoch School District.

The proposal to implement a tax raise was first brought up during the previous borough council meeting held on Nov. 19, and made official on Tuesday night when the seven borough council members voted to ratify the tax ordinance.

The borough budget for 2025 — as published in the Butler Eagle on Tuesday, Dec. 3 — anticipates that both revenues and expenditures will come in at $883,701.

Over one-third of the expenditures — $354,588 — are marked for the Saxonburg Police Department, which, in addition to serving the borough, provides contracted police services for Summit and Oakland townships.

Another $76,200 is tied up in employee pensions, with $61,406 reserved for employee benefits.

According to borough manager Steven May, there were no changes to the budget from how it was advertised after the Nov. 19 meeting.