2026 Budget and Fee Schedule Approved and Available
Ford City Borough Council adopted the Borough’s final 2026 Budget and an updated 2026 General Fee Schedule at its regular public meeting held on December 8, 2025, concluding Council’s final meeting of the year.
Council unanimously approved the 2026 Budget while maintaining the borough’s real estate tax rate at 19.4 mills. The adopted budget projects total revenues of approximately $3.01 million and total expenditures of just over $3.21 million. While expenses exceed revenues on paper, Borough Manager Charles Stull explained that existing fund equity allows the borough to remain financially stable throughout the coming year.
At the beginning of 2026, the borough will hold roughly $950,000 in combined fund equity across all operating accounts. This accumulated equity will be used to offset the projected budget gap and ensure continued operations without a tax increase. All borough funds are projected to end the year with positive balances.
For 2026, the General Fund is projected to finish the year with a surplus of $31,309.04. The Street Light Fund is expected to end with a surplus of $30,312.25, while the Fire Protection Fund is projected to close with $37,371.42 in the black. The Library Fund is budgeted to break even. The Public Utility Fund is projected to end the year with a surplus of $586,087.44, and the State Fund with a surplus of $58,982.14.
While the use of fund balance allows the borough to maintain services and hold taxes steady in 2026, Stull cautioned Council that relying on fund equity is not a long-term solution. Council members echoed that sentiment, noting that rising costs will continue to place pressure on future budgets and that planning for 2027 will require careful consideration.
Council also approved an updated General Schedule of Fees for 2026. The revised fee schedule includes targeted increases, decreases, and restructuring to better align fees with the actual cost of administration, inspection, and enforcement. In previous years, many fees were flat rates, which often overcharged small projects while undercharging more complex applications.
Dumpster collection rates were increased to reflect higher contract costs, with two-yard dumpsters set at $145, three-yard dumpsters at $150, and four-yard dumpsters at $175. Rental license fees were adjusted, with both the annual rental license fee and the per-unit rental license fee increasing by $25.
Several permit and inspection fees were revised to better reflect staff time and review complexity. Commercial inspection fees increased from $125 to $150. Zoning Hearing Board application fees were adjusted to $1,000, while conditional use hearing fees were set at $800. Residential permit fees were restructured, including $75 for new residential construction, $50 for residential additions, $20 for accessory structures, and $30 per structure for residential demolitions. Commercial construction, addition, demolition, and change-of-use fees were also updated to better reflect project scope.
Council also approved adjustments related to signs, pools, curb cuts, and parking. Residential parking meter permits were reduced by half, dropping from $120 to $60 annually and prorated from the date of application. The daily food truck permit fee increased from $50 to $75, and parking violations during street cleaning were adjusted to $20.
New special event application fees were adopted based on expected attendance, with fees set at $25 for small events, $50 for medium events, and $75 for large events. Additional charges apply for borough services used during events, including electric service, barricades, refuse collection, borough staffing, and metered water usage.
The fee schedule also includes new recreation-related fees for use of borough facilities outside existing license agreements, including softball field rentals, pavilion rentals, and volleyball court usage. In addition, the borough formally incorporated the state-adopted Right-to-Know fee schedule, including a per-page copy charge, to help recover administrative costs.
Additionally, water usage rates will increase by $5.00 as required by PENNVEST for the waterline replacement project.
Borough officials noted that the intent of the 2026 fee updates is fairness, transparency, and cost recovery rather than creating unnecessary barriers for residents or businesses.
The adopted 2026 Borough Budget and the approved 2026 Fee Schedule are now available for public viewing on the Borough website. Residents and businesses are encouraged to review both documents to better understand the borough’s financial plan and updated fee structure for the coming year.
The 2026 budget is available here while the 2026 municipal fee schedule is available here.
