Hellertown Borough Council addressed a packed meeting agenda Monday, receiving an audit update, approving a preliminary 2026 budget and hearing resident concerns about a new apartment development. Council also heard a resident\u2019s proposal for how to enforce the borough\u2019s sidewalk ordinance and accepted the resignation of a borough administrative assistant.<\/p>\n
Audit Shows Strong 2024 Financial Performance<\/p>\n
Jeff Weiss of Zelenkofske Axelrod LLC presented the borough\u2019s 2024 audit via Zoom.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour total revenues for this year increased approximately $1 million,\u201d he told council, which he said was a significant improvement over the $200,000 increase in 2023. General fund revenues exceeded what was budgeted by $362,000, while expenses came in $514,000 under budget.<\/p>\n
Councilman Andrew Hughes noted the positive financial picture, but questioned assumptions about future healthcare costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the borough\u2019s perspective, we\u2019re getting crushed with healthcare increases. Most people out there today are getting crushed with massive increases in healthcare (costs),\u201d Hughes said. \u201cBut our assumptions have healthcare increases in the future as low as 3 to 4 percent, just in a couple of years\u2019 timeframe. That doesn\u2019t seem realistic to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c(Those projections are) done by your actuary\u2026,\u201d Weiss responded. \u201cThey prepare all of the information behind that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Budget Approved With Challenges Ahead<\/p>\n
Council voted to approve a preliminary 2026 budget showing expenses exceeding revenues by $58,693 in the general fund.<\/p>\n
Borough Manager Cathy Hartranft presented council with the most crucial budget information: $4.7 million in estimated general fund revenues against similar expenses, and plans to maintain the current 20-mill real estate and 1.5-mill fire tax rates.<\/p>\n
The borough\u2019s sanitation fund shows a $46,044 deficit, though council president Tom Rieger suggested using fund balance reserves during what he called a \u201ctransitional year\u201d to evaluate commercial trash service.<\/p>\n
Fire department funding generated the most extensive discussion. The preliminary budget maintains current funding levels, but council acknowledged that may need to change.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo matter what we do, they\u2019re going to need\u2026a tax increase, because of all the expenses that are coming at the fire company,\u201d said council member Mike McKenna.<\/p>\n
Fire Chief Rick Delmore reported that the department has added 10 members to a relaunched auxiliary that will be working on marketing and fundraising efforts, but said staffing challenges persist. The department has responded to 418 calls as of early November and is on pace to reach 500 by year\u2019s end, he said.<\/p>\n
Barry Yonney, speaking both as public works director and a taxpayer, advocated for gradual tax increases rather than delaying until a larger tax hike becomes necessary.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d rather go up gradually, so we don\u2019t have to jump up a real block in a couple of years,\u201d he said. \u201cEverything goes up. We are high tax in Hellertown, we are, but we give a lot to this community\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
The preliminary budget will be advertised as is legally required, with final budget decisions expected in December. Under the borough code, council must pass a balanced budget by the end of the year.<\/p>\n
Borough Administrative Assistant Resigns<\/p>\n
Borough administrative assistant Holly Molder resigned and submitted a strongly-worded resignation letter<\/a> on her way out.<\/p>\n \u201cThe extreme uncomfortableness every payroll Monday, with having to manually manipulate time cards after being verified by the employees\u2019 manager, is not something I want to be a part of anymore, especially since the reason this system came into play was because of time-card manipulation by the former Chief of Police<\/a>,\u201d she wrote in the letter.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to give you a big thank you for helping us these past two-and-a-half years, especially during the transition that we\u2019re going through,\u201d Borough Manager Cathy Hartranft told her. \u201cShe came in and really embraced the job and the people here.\u201d<\/p>\n Molder\u2019s letter said her resignation was a decision she didn\u2019t want to make, and that she\u2019s been \u201cthinking about it for a few months.\u201d<\/p>\n