At the Dec. 14 Northampton Borough Council meeting, council members adopted the 2017 budget - slightly over $6 million - that retains the 10-mill real estate levy.

The budget is no-frills spending plan, according to Borough Manager LeRoy Brobst. This is his first budget submission to borough lawmakers since taking the helm June 1.

Council lauded Brobst for not raising property taxes while maintaining a high caliber of services and programs for all the residents and property owners.

“In any event, it must be remembered that a budget is nothing more than an educated guess, and no one knows what the future has in store. Collectively, we will all do our best to ensure that the financial well-being of Northampton Borough is our paramount concern,” Brobst said.

The budget projects $6,057,107 in expenditures for 2017 - a $62,312 increase, or 1.04 percent, over 2016.

“The largest capital projects include a new Ford Expedition for the police department and the allocation of funding to begin the state-mandated MS4 stormwater permitting application. Over the next five-year period (2017-2021), this process in all likelihood costs in excess of $250,000,” Brobst said.

Anticipating a $596,020 closing balance for 2016, an increase of $330,042 over the 2015 end-of-year balance, Brobst said the projected closing balance for 2017 is $610,600. This will be the first time the state-recommended 10-percent balance has been realized since 2006.

On the revenue side of the ledger, taxes are expected to generate $3,396,687.

On the expenditure side, police protection is expected to cost $1,810,034; fire protection, $89,566; and code enforcement and building inspection, $88,456.

The sewer budget is $1,561,372, with anticipated $1,742,300 in expected revenue. Brobst mentioned when Northampton Borough Municipal Authority raised its minimum rate charge in the fall of 2016, it generated approximately $100,000 in additional revenue for 2017. Capital projects include refurbishing five manholes, installing a new blower system for a tank and an effluent sampler.