DUBOIS — DuBois City Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, January 7, taking significant steps to establish the city’s governance structure while continuing deliberations on its first full-year budget following consolidation. While final action on tax rates was deferred, council approved a wide range of appointments, authorized operational requests from the fire department, and scheduled additional meetings to complete budget decisions later this month.

Opening Of The Meeting And Early Announcements

Council opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance, a moment of silence, and prayer, followed by roll call. All council members were present, along with city administrative staff, police and fire leadership, and members of the public.

Early in the meeting, council reviewed procedures for public comment, reaffirming a three-minute time limit per speaker, and announced multiple vacancies on city boards and authorities. Vacancies remain on the zoning hearing board, building code board of appeals, property maintenance board of appeals, the recreation authority, and the parking authority.

Board Vacancies And Structural Adjustments

As part of the discussion on boards and authorities, council addressed the status of two entities inherited through consolidation.

Council agreed to move forward with formally establishing a recreation authority, which had previously been discussed but never fully organized.

In contrast, council voted to dissolve the city’s parking authority, citing its limited role and minimal assets. With council approval, remaining parking authority property will be transferred back to the City of DuBois.

Fire Department Requests Receive Approval

Fire Chief Joe Mitchell presented a request to sell three aging pieces of fire apparatus that have reached the end of their useful service life. He also requested authorization to purchase two chief vehicles using existing fire department capital reserve funds.

Chief Mitchell explained that proceeds from the apparatus sales would help offset the cost of the vehicles and emphasized that no money from the city’s general fund would be used.

Council unanimously approved the request, authorizing the fire department to proceed with both the equipment sales and vehicle purchases.

Correspondence And Informational Items Reviewed

Council reviewed several pieces of correspondence received since the previous meeting, including:

• The 2026 PennSafe agreement
• Proposed tax collection hours for 2026
• A report from the Beautification Committee
• A Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) request from Generational Land LLC

The LERTA request, which would provide a temporary tax assessment freeze to encourage property improvement, was presented for informational purposes only. Council indicated the matter will return at a future meeting with additional details before any action is taken.

Strategic Action Planning For 2026

A significant portion of the meeting focused on strategic planning priorities for 2026. City management outlined a proposed work plan addressing long-term financial stability, infrastructure planning, digitization of records, emergency notification systems, and potential creation of business improvement districts.

Council members generally supported continued research into these initiatives, while stressing the importance of balancing long-term planning with the city’s current financial limitations.

The 2026 Budget Discussion And Where It Stands

The most extensive discussion of the evening centered on the reopened 2026 budget. Administrators explained that the proposed budget equalizes tax rates between the former city and township while maintaining existing services across the newly consolidated municipality.

Council members raised concerns about early-year cash flow, noting that tax revenue does not begin flowing in until later in the year. Among the items discussed were:

• A potential transfer of $150,000 from the water fund to the general fund
• Deferring vehicle purchases and certain capital expenditures
• Asking department heads to identify expenses that could be postponed
• Exploring senior rebate programs and other forms of tax relief

Millage targets discussed during the meeting generally ranged from approximately 12.75 to 13.75 mills, though no consensus was reached.

No final vote was taken on the budget or tax rate. Council formally postponed both the budget resolution and the tax millage ratification to the January 21 regular meeting to allow additional analysis.

Payroll Addressed While Budget Review Continues

While broader budget decisions were deferred, council took action to ensure uninterrupted payroll operations.

Council unanimously approved Resolution 2026-014, ratifying wages, salaries, and administrative benefits for 2026. This action allows city employees to be paid while council continues working through the remaining budget issues.

Special Budget Meetings Scheduled

To continue budget deliberations, council scheduled two special meetings dedicated solely to budget review:

• January 14 at 6:00 p.m.
• January 19 at 6:00 p.m., to be canceled if not needed

Both meetings will focus on reviewing revised budget figures and identifying potential adjustments before final action later in the month.

Appointments And Governance Actions Approved

Council approved a substantial number of appointments necessary to establish the city’s governance framework:

• The Planning Commission was expanded from five to seven members, with six appointments approved.
• Three appointments were approved to complete the Hospital Authority Board.
• Staggered-term appointments were approved for the Civil Service Board.
• Multiple appointments were approved for the Library Board.
• A full slate of appointments was approved for the Watershed Committee.

All appointment votes passed unanimously.

Closing Remarks And Looking Ahead

In closing comments, council members acknowledged the difficulty of balancing fiscal responsibility with public expectations, noting that tax increases are never popular but may be necessary to stabilize city operations after years without adjustments.

Council and staff also thanked city employees, public works crews, police officers, firefighters, and volunteers for their efforts during recent organizational events and winter weather operations.

With additional budget meetings scheduled and final decisions still pending, council emphasized that transparency and public input will remain central as the city moves toward adopting its first consolidated budget.

The meeting adjourned following public and board comments.