Taxes and some parking rates are likely on the rise in Gettysburg Borough.
During their final budget workshop of the year, council concurred that a 9.08% real estate tax increase is needed to balance the 2025 budget. Under the current proposal, parking meters that currently cost $1 per hour will increase to $1.50.
Borough Manager Charles Gable said he estimates the parking rate increases will generate about $150,000 in revenue. Rates have not been adjusted since 2017.
“I do think that is a conservative number, but I am hesitant to give it a larger number,” Gable said. “Once you tinker with parking rates, human behavior changes. There is no way to predict that until we cycle through a year.”
The proposed real estate millage increase of 0.3796 mills equals a median annual increase of $90 per homeowner, Council President Matthew Moon said. If approved, it would be the borough’s first tax increase since 2023.
Council will vote to advertise the changes on Nov. 12 with the final adoption scheduled for Dec. 9.
Other adjustments
Gable told the council on Monday that the proposed tax increase and parking rate hike are only two of several tools he used to balance the budget. The borough is committed to keeping its police force at 14 full-time officers, he said. However, it is unlikely that the borough will be able to fill all positions as of Jan. 1. The borough increased its force to 14 in 2022 and has yet to attract qualified applicants. Since the police department will unlikely need the money, Gable transferred it to the parking and public works departments to fund a new position that those departments will share.
If the police department is able to hire two officers early in the year, Gable will present a budget adjustment to the council that includes taking money from reserves. Councilmembers stressed that there is no plan to reduce the police force.
The council is also using $350,000 of the $716,000 remaining in its American Rescue Plan Act account to balance the 2025 budget.
Parking Technology Outdated
Last week, Councilman Chad-Alan Carr proposed increasing parking rates more than $1.50 an hour.
However, Parking Manager Becka Fissel said Carr’s scenario is impossible since the borough’s obsolete parking meter calibration software limits its possibilities. Fissel said the borough would need to buy all new meters or transfer to a kiosk-only system to enact additional varying rates.
The 2025 budget sets aside $152,000 to plan for a parking system upgrade, Gable said. The current system was purchased in 2004, Fissel said, and the company no longer supports it. Fissel and Councilwoman Alisha Sanders will research replacement options.
Meeting cancelled
Since the borough council finished its work on the 2025 budget proposal, the meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 6, has been canceled.
Featured image caption: Gettysburg Borough Parking Manager Becka Fissel demonstrates how parking rates are adjusted as Borough Police Chief Robert Glenny looks on.
Alex J. Hayes has spent almost two decades in the Adams County news business. He is passionate about sharing stories focused on the people in our communities and following local governments in an age when few journalists report on their meetings. Alex is also a freelance writer for several other publications in South Central Pennsylvania. Alex encourages readers to contact him at ahayes83@gmail.com.
Perhaps if the borough hire more workers instead of all of the executives there would not be a need to increase taxes or raise parking rates. We need business people on the council and also look into hiring a different borough manager.