Muncy Borough Council at its recent meeting approved the 2025 budget that includes a 0.25 real estate tax millage hike.

With the increase, those owning properties having an assessed value of $100,000 will pay an additional $25 in taxes in the coming year.

The vote was 5-1 in favor of the budget and tax hike.

Voting yes were Scott Delany, Richard Sutton, Steve Swank, Ryan Scruggs, and George Henry.

Voting no was Thad Martin.

Bill Scott was absent.

The tax hike, bringing the millage from 5.30 to 5.55 mills, marks the borough’s first increase since 2018.

The $1.3 million spending plan includes a 3 percent wage increase for the borough’s four non-uniformed employees.

Real estate tax revenues comprise $540,000 of the budget. Other tax revenues are earned income, $300,000; local services, $36,000; and real estate transfer, $33,000.

In other matters, council announced that an unnamed manufacturing company is expected to open operations on Sherman Street in the borough.

Delany noted that the company would take over the long-empty Plant 1 building formerly owned by Andritz and potentially hire between 50 and 100 employees.

“I think it’s a great thing,” he said.

Borough officials would not disclose the name of the Parsippany, N.J.-based company.

Company officials are aware that the site is in a flood zone, according to borough manager Charles Hall.

Council approved a $52,000 Lycoming County Liquid Fuels grant.

The borough is one of three local municipalities to receive the grant funding which is expected to go toward rehabilitation of the Carpenter Street bridge project.

Council agreed to continue holding its meetings on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Muncy High School Library in the coming year.

Council will also hold additional meetings when needed on the third Thursday of each month.

Borough officials decided this year to relocate meetings from the North Washington Street municipal building to the school library.

The state Department of Justice last year directed borough officials to take steps to make the municipal building handicapped accessible.

Borough officials are considering options for the location of a new building.

During the meeting, they discussed whether to move paperwork and other items out of the borough building to a temporary site.

Hall said he would prefer not doing so until a decision is made on a permanent location.

Possible sites for a municipal building include a vacant lot at South Washington and New streets the borough secured through a land swap deal with the public library this year.