Municipal Budget Planning Underway in Butler

Butler Borough department heads are hard at work drafting budget figures to feed into the 2013 municipal budget, according to Councilman Edwin Vath.

Vath, chairman of the Butler Council's Finance Committee, spoke briefly about the budget process at the council's Jan. 15 meeting. He commended all of the borough's department heads, and in particular two supervisors in the Department of Public Works, for working on their own line items.

"They're really making sure they're doing a diligent job and getting accurate numbers," he said.

Vath said the borough, as a whole, did a good job in 2012 of curbing costs with limited expenses. As a result, based on preliminary information, Vath anticipated that the borough may be able to add funds to the surplus account in 2013.

One area which saved the borough money was health insurance costs and Butler switching to a different carrier for borough employees.

"We are seeing a definite savings with that move and thanks to the employees for accepting that change," he said.

As final budget numbers are released, officials will have a better handle on how much money is available for spending on improvements throughout Butler in the current year. During his report on roads, Councilman Bob Fox said the Roads and Buildings/Grounds Committee is waiting to see how much money will be allotted for road improvements in 2013 before devising a "wishlist."

"Once we get the budget numbers, we'll come out with a new list," he said.

The two roads he did mention as being repaired are Scott Street and Lafayette Avenue.