Alburtis Borough Council unanimously approved the borough 2018 budget at the Dec. 27, 2017 meeting. The $2,878,713 budget reflects no tax increase, even though the budget for 2017 was $2,611,273.

A $300,000 Pennsylvania Small Water and Sewer grant was largely responsible for the $267,440 increase over the 2017 budget.

In related business, council approved an ordinance establishing the real estate tax rate at 3.83 mils, the same as 2017. Other borough fees and taxes will also stay at the 2017 rate, including the per capita tax, earned income tax, local services tax, realty transfer tax, sanitary sewer fees and the fee for collecting municipal waste and recyclable materials.

Borough Fire Chief Donald Smith Jr. presented information about the upcoming merger of the Alburtis Fire Department and the Lower Macungie Fire Department. Alburtis has 24 firefighters and Lower Macungie has 45. The consolidation will increase the availability of firefighters.

The change will eliminate duplication of equipment.

The consolidated department, which took a year of committee study and transition team meetings to finalize, will be called the Lower Macungie Fire Department. A new chief will be elected for 2018.