Feb 28, 2020 2 min read

FREDERICKTOWN – Deemston is operating without a budget after council reopened and rejected the spending plan because it isn’t balanced, borough officials said.

The small, rural borough also has been operating without a solicitor, Councilman Dave Gilpin said.

The tentative budget on display at the borough building showed a surplus at the end of 2019 of $253,316. It also showed secretary/treasurer Ashley Milcheck earning $37,444 last year, an increase of nearly $10,000 from the previous year.

It cited expenses of $284,326 and revenues of more than $500,000.

Gilpin said he wants to see a balanced budget.

It was not immediately clear Thursday why revenues exceeded expenses.

Gilpin said the board voted to hire attorney Steve Toprani as solicitor, and he didn’t attend a meeting because a member of his family was ill. Toprani said he withdrew his letter of interest to work as the borough’s solicitor.

Council President Diana Johnson said she couldn’t comment on the budget until after the borough seats a solicitor, hopefully next month.

“We’re actively working on this, Johnson said. “In time everything will be fine.”

She said the borough will be working under the budget that passed in December since the reopened budget died in a 4-3 vote.