No tax increase in 2026 city budget

Council hears from Public Works on improvements, future plans

LOCK HAVEN -- Lock Haven City Council began reviewing its preliminary 2026 budget, which sees a total of $15,204,563 in major funds -- with no tax increase included.

However, the city is continuing to work its way towards a single-rate millage by adjusting its millage rate for General Purpose (land) and General Purpose (Improvements).

Council approved setting General Purpose (Land) at 15.0 mills and General Purpose (improvements) at 10.9 mills.

City Manager Gregory Wilson explained the rate on land went down 5 mills and the rate on improvements increased by 1 mill, adding it equates to the same amount of money and is made in an effort to be as close to neutral as possible.

"In the end -- hopefully in 2027 -- we will be back to a single rate millage just like the county and school district and 2,544 other cities, townships and boroughs in Pa.," Wilson told The Express.

The move to slowly integrate a single rate millage overtime was enacted by council in a previous year, after Wilson noted it was one of only 16 municipalities to utilize split rate beginning in the 1980s.

The budget for its major funds -- appropriated from equities, revenues and other financing sources -- for 2026 are estimated to be the following:

-- General Fund: $6,473,211

-- Fire Fund: $575,470

-- Water Fund: $3,098,070

-- Sewer Fund: $4,214,811

-- Airport Fund: $235,189

-- Stormwater Fund: $279,180

-- Highway Aid: $328,632

At Monday night's meeting, council began to hear updates from major stakeholders within the budget -- beginning with Public Works foremen.

Before diving into the individual updates for each part of Public Works, Wilson provided information regarding the proposed 2026 budget.

The budget can be viewed at www.lockhavenpa.gov/residents/public-notices.

At the start of the preliminary budget packet, Wilson pointed to the median household -- located on North Fairview Street -- which is able to afford median rent. This, he said, is a marked improvement.

"Household income is up 71 percent from where it was 10 years ago and median home values are up 39 percent over the same decade," he said.

Wilson also touched on how many projects the city has been able to accomplish.

"The budget this year does feature a variety of expenses that the city has been claiming for many years that help improve the quality of life. As we wrap up one project it seems we're already starting another," Wilson said.

Some of these projects were highlighted during presentations by Public Works foremen as part of council's budget discussion on Monday night.

Those updates include:

SEWER TREATMENT

AND COLLECTION

Dave Sorgen, superintendent at the treatment plant, said the city is in its 11th year in the new facility with hopefully 39 more to go.

Sorgen said progress is continuing to be made at the plant, including the replacement of bearings and hiring Matt Stover as the plant's instrumentation technician.

"He's been a really good problem solver," Sorgen said of Stover.

Looking ahead, Sorgen said his staff plans to get new screens and a new ultra violet disinfectant system in 2026.

Wilson noted the current UV system is outdated and parts can't be ordered for it.

"It is working very good," Sorgen added. "We just can't get parts anymore."

Wilson said the UV system replacement is likely the treatment plant's major project next year and would utilize PennVEST funding. The city will also be utilizing funding contributed from municipalities that use the treatment plant.

"They were informed earlier this year that would be an upcoming expense so they could prepare in advance for that," he said.

Plans are to apply for PennVEST funding in the spring with work to begin soon after.

"The engineers have done most of the work to get us to the point where we can implement that as quickly as possible," Wilson said. "That'll be a big relief, especially to the instrumentation technician crew and Dave. Fewers things to have to repair and they can get back to a preventative maintenance program."

Sorgen said work would begin sometime after April as long as the PennVEST application is approved.

PUBLIC WORKS

ADMINISTRATION

Jared Gist, Public Works Supervisor, provided council with an update on his department's work -- including the implementation of new software that better identifies roads in need of repairs.

Gist noted he is about seven months into the job but said his department has been going in a good direction.

Work completed in 2025 included finishing phase three of the Sunset Pines stormwater infrastructure project; completing chainsaw safety training and also training on how to use the sewer camera; applied for a grant to repair Glenn Road, which he noted is shaping up to be a multi-year project and implementing Vialytics software program to rate paving and street signs.

Gist noted he plans to provide council with an in-depth look into the software after budget season concludes and in early 2026.

Gist said the goal is to incorporate the new software program with the city's GIS data and camera recording to provide estimates and recommendations for future projects.

Wilson noted the city received a "tremendous" discount for purchasing both the software and equipment needed to operate the system.

It cost $3,528 initially and will cost $1,000 each year for software updates, he said.

"We got the equipment itself for free and you get the upgrades. It really has a long-term impact," he said. "I think people will start to see this, coupled with stormwater, some significant impacts in the next couple of years where projects are really going to stand out and be noticed."

Gist said the end goal is to better be able to assess and determine what projects may need to take priority, and justify it.

"The end goal is, once we can overlap it, we'll be able to plan. We can say we want to pave (a street) because here's the assessment from the asphalt. But here's the camera view of the sewer lines. Then you can watch the one in storm water. It's kind of a justification," he said.

Council member Steve Stevenson asked if the software creates a history or profile for each road.

Gist explained it isn't exactly a profile, but every time Public Works does street assessment with Vialytics -- which is recommended at least twice a year -- it creates historic data that can be reviewed.

STREETS

Kyle Dale, streets and stormwater foreman, told council it had been a busy year for his part of Public Works.

This included continuing to identify and assess outdated storm sewer infrastructure and provide updates to GIS implementation; continue to devise an updated list of future storm sewer replacements; city wide maintenance of roadways, storm sewer and others; minor upgrades to failing storm sewer pipes and completed upgrades to traffic signals at the intersection of Second Avenue, Bellefonte Avenue and Barton Street through Green Light Go grant funding.

Dale noted the new signals will help lower maintenance costs significantly moving forward.

He added the department may need to do minor work on Glenn Road for better drainage prior to its major improvement project.

Looking ahead, Dale said streets will continue to implement stormwater features for GIS mapping purposes; maintain roadways, storm sewer and others by replacing or rehabilitating existing infrastructure; update traffic markings throughout the city that include parking stalls, cross walks, stop bars and rail road crossings; implement the previously approved stormwater fee to repair failing infrastructure.

PUBLIC PROPERTY

Public Property Foreman Matt Croak provided a list of work his part of Public Works has been doing including:

-- Completed testing of each levee gate structure to ensure functionality. It was noted the process provided an important training opportunity for the Public Works crews.

-- Worked to clear debris in and around the Keller Reservoir spillway at Zindel Park for an inspection.

-- Regularly maintained city parks throughout the season to keep them attractive and enjoyable for residents and visitors.

-- Collaborated with contractors on the Hoberman Park improvement project to complete water and sewer connections. The work was counted as an in-kind contribution to help lower overall costs.

-- Continued to maintain the levee system.

Croak said the 2026 objectives stem from what was completed in 2025 and include exploring open spaces for community gardens; maintaining parks and assisting in removing old equipment from Hanna Park and Tiger Den Playground; patch walking trails in parks and along the levee when needed and keep pathways clear; install mulch in parks and garden beds and also to maintain roads and brush material at the reservoir property.

WATER FUND

Water Foreman Hunter Stover told council the city is looking to replace both industrial and residential water meters in the near future to better track water usage within the city.

Stover said he's begun to measure for meters at facilities like First Quality and should have those industrial meters installed at the end of 2025.

He'll then begin to look to replace smaller residential ones, which will be strategically placed in city blocks in 2026.

Mayor Joel Long asked if the replacement of these meters would help track unaccounted for water.

Wilson said unaccounted for water is considered unbilled and noted the older meters aren't always providing accurate readings.

"So switching these meters -- all of which are over 20 years old -- will get us much more accurate figures," he said. "That means our consumption will not go down, but the money to pay for that will go up."

Results from the newer meters should be available for review after their first reading in the first quarter of 2026.

Stover noted the new meters will also be able to better detect leaks both on the residential side of a meter or the city side 365 days of the year.

"It will actually leak detect outside on (our) side as well as in-home. So if your toilet is running constantly that'll notify me it's hearing something," he said. "So whether it's on our side or your side, we can go out and determine that."

According to Stover, the new meters are about $50-$70 cheaper for residentials and $2,000 to $2,500 cheaper for industrial ones of the same size.

Other projects that were completed in 2025 included updating pump stations and PRV's for monitor equipment; completed 250 Department of Environmental Protection lead and copper rule inspections; assessed line inventory and prepared updated list for future projects; updated meters and radio readings within the system and completed system-wide leak detecting which found 60 leaks that were repaired throughout the year.

Stover said the department plans to continue work on many of these projects into 2026.