Northampton Borough Manager Leroy Brobst is preparing the 2017 budget - the first for him since taking the reins of the position June 1.

Brobst succeeded retiring borough Manager Gene Zarayko, who died Oct. 25.

The plan should go to council for review likely at the Nov. 17 meeting.

Although there has been no official word on whether real estate taxes will be raised or be retained at the present 10-mill rate, Brobst said he is keenly aware of this first budget he is tackling and the property tax rate needed to meet the community’s needs.

The likelihood of real estate taxes being increased seems unlikely; however, council, which has the final say and vote, will determine the millage rate.

Brobst, as was the case with Zarayko, is expected to present borough lawmakers a no-frills budget, while at the same time being progressive regarding the borough’s needs to serve its residents.

As in past years, council will adopt the budget at one of its two meetings in December.

One major item in the 2017 proposed plan going to council is the police budget. Contract talks have been ongoing for the past several months. There is no official word that an agreed police contract involving wages and benefits has been reached. The present pact expires Dec. 31.

Police cannot go on strike, but binding arbitration could result if both sides reach an impasse. There has not been any such talk, and it has been years since binding arbitration was required.

The present 2016 budget went from nine to 10 mills. And even with the one-mill hike in property taxes, only Chapman Borough, one of the 19 boroughs in Northampton County, has a lower millage rate than Northampton. Chapman is the smallest borough in the county and operates without a police department,

The 2016 budget had no capital projects; it did, however, continue a progressive streets improvement program, allocating $55,000 for street repaving. The then-borough manager said, unfortunately, because of a lack of economic growth, the modest hike in property taxes was needed.