Bradford City Council is still considering a tax increase in 2018, but the numbers are not yet finalized.
On Tuesday, council passed on first reading a 2018 millage ordinance that included the same 1.5 mill increase they discussed at the Nov. 28 meeting, when they introduced the 2018 budget.
Council has yet to pass a finalized budget and millage ordinance. Officials indicated they hope to have a lower millage rate when they pass the final budget at the end of the month.
The preliminary budget includes a total tax rate of 19.52 mills, 1.5 mills above the 2017 rate of 18.02 mills.
Councilman Brad Mangel said at the Nov. 28 meeting that the increase would be about $75 per year for someone with a home assessed at $50,000.
On Tuesday, Mangel said, “We are presently looking at various avenues and are trying to reduce that. We’re still keeping that on the table.”
Mayor Tom Riel added they feel “comfortable” that the final tax rate will be lower than that, but “how far below that we don’t know.” He explained, “It’s a work in progress, and each and every year it can and does change.”
Riel noted that every council member lives in the city and is affected by tax increases.
“I’m not a wealthy guy, and I don’t like taxes going up,” he said.
Mangel reiterated from the last meeting that the “big driver” behind the possible tax increase is the pension obligation.
The total tax rate includes 11.79 mills for general purposes, 0.14 mills for the Bradford Area Public Library, 3.98 mills for interest on bonded indebtedness and for sinking fund requirements and 3.61 mills for recreation purposes.
Along with the budget, council authorized the execution of a 2018 tax anticipation loan for $850,000.
Riel noted that the city takes out a tax anticipation loan every year and explained it is a short term loan that will be paid back in less than a year. He added that it is something many municipalities do.
Also at the meeting, council granted approval for the sale of four properties from the McKean County Tax Claim Repository. The properties are 112 Summer St., to Derek C. Minor; 159 E. Main St., to Charles Wehrer; and 13 and 15 E. Main St., both to Chris Gibble.
Bradford Area School District and the McKean County commissioners must also approve the sales.
Three facade improvement grants were awarded, too.
Nancy Graham was awarded a $1,406.78 grant to install gooseneck lighting on the signboard area of 51 Main St., the location of the Tin Ceiling Gift Shoppe; Brandon Whittemore was awarded a $4.575 grant to replace parapet wall, repair the roof, trim windows and repaint the building facade at 10 Kennedy St., the location of On the Side Books; and Jonathan Pingie was awarded a $4,454.43 grant to replace windows, repair the signboard area and repaint the facade of 3-5 Main St.
All three grants are part of the Downtown Bradford Business District Authority, and each one will cover half the cost of the project.
