IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Fall 2017 | Page 42

Briefly Brentwood
BOROUGH NEWS
Borough Manager’s Message
“Things do not happen, Things are made to
happen” —John Fitzgerald Kennedy
E
very day I drive through Brentwood I see the
amazing things this community has done together
and the potential for further growth and I think of
Kennedy’s words. Economic growth and prosperity
does not just happen randomly upon an area. A lot of
hard work is put in by the residents, businesses and the
local government. The community recognizes its assets
and what makes it unique. The community must then
plan the most efficient way to utilize these assets as
fortune favors the prepared mind. With these thoughts in
mind the Borough is nearing completion on its first ten-
year Capital Improvement
Plan. For those who
missed the previous issue,
by creating this CIP, the
borough can see what
costs it will incur in the
future and address them
accordingly. This enables
the Borough to keep the
OFFICIALS OF
tax burden of the citizens
of Brentwood low, and
THE BOROUGH
allows the administration
OF BRENTWOOD
to search for alternative
sources of revenue for
2017
these future projects.
MAYOR
DENNIS TROY
MEMBERS OF COUNCIL
JOHN FROMBACH, President
RICH SCHUBERT, Vice President
STEPHANIE FOX, Pro Tem
PASQUALE CARNEVALE
ROBERT PASQUANTONIO
A.J. DOYLE
HAROLD SMITH
SOLICITOR
GAVIN ROBB
BOROUGH MANAGER
GEORGE ZBOYOVSKY, P.E.
40 Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall
The plan sorts projects
from each year into either
debt service, earmarked,
or discretionary spending.
Debt service is money
that the Borough is legally
required to pay each year.
Often times the Borough
does not have the money
on hand to finance large
capital projects, thus the
borough needs to issue
bonds and sign leases to
pay for these projects.
Half of each year’s Capital
Improvement Fund is
taken up by this mandated
spending. It is healthy for
George Zboyovsky, PE
a municipality to have some level of debt service, and
Brentwood’s debt service to revenue ratio is only 7.84%.
For comparison the City of Pittsburgh’s ratio is 15.64%
and Bethel Park’s is 10.92%.
Earmarked spending is money that has been approved
by Council for a specific purpose or project. This includes
the Storm Water Management Program, the 5 Year Street
Rehabilitation Program, Sidewalk Cost Sharing Program,
and the Sign Management Program. These plans have all
been previously authorized by Council and integrating
them into one cohesive section better allows for the
Borough to plan for the future. All other projects fall
under the discretionary category. From the title it may
seem that these projects are not critical to the ongoing
success of the Borough. However, this is not the case
as critical items such as police cars, and plow trucks are
included here. This category also includes projects such
as replacing the roof of the library and upgrading the
Civic Center. These projects are not mandated by law,
or resolution from council, so there is discretion in what
year they should be completed. However, upgrading and
maintaining the Borough’s current capital stock is critical
for sustainable economic growth and remains a top
priority.
The next step in the process is for the plan to be
formally presented to Council and voted on. I am
hopefully that this will occur during the August Council
meeting. I truly believe the Borough is on the cusp of
an economic boom and this plan is a critical piece of the
puzzle. This plan will enable to Borough to position itself
for long term sustainable growth, while keeping the
sense of community and all that has made Brentwood an
excellent place to live.
Enjoy the Autumn season!!
George Zboyovsky, PE
Borough Manager