City Council on Monday accepted City Manager Omar Strohm’s retirement, appointed Police Chief Joe Merrill as his interim replacement and named Deputy Police Chief Derek Swope as interim police chief. Strohm has retired after 21 years as an Altoona employee, including the most recent three in the top administrative post. Strohm, 61, will become associate […]
HOLLIDAYSBURG Recent talks of developing the former Stowell Farm, an almost 68-acre plot of land located along Bedford Street and Charger Highway in the Gaysport neighborhood, is drawing concerns from residents who fear it will make the area’s flooding problems worse. In a phone call, Jeff Long, who owns Jeff S. Long Construction, said […]
HOLLIDAYSBURG An Intergovernmental Stormwater Committee agreement renewal and police department hiring were topics for Hollidaysburg Borough Council Thursda
dcuzzolina@altoonamirror.com
HOLLIDAYSBURG The Hollidaysburg Borough Council passed a 2021 budget with no tax increase, though they were accused by a community member of not being transparent in the process.
On Thursday evening, the six council members present voted to pass the budget, which is projected to give the borough a general fund surplus of $15,553. Councilmember Richard Scholton was not present for the vote.
The 2021 general fund revenue is budgeted at $3,083,350 with expenses totaling $3,067,797. The borough budgeted for salary increases in multiple departments, the largest being a nearly $100,000 hike for the municipal police force. Additionally, the borough expects health insurance costs to increase in nearly all departments from actual 2020 amounts.