Catasauqua Borough residents and organizations are sharing information on social media that council’s Jan. 24 meeting resulted in a decision to not cut funding.

In fact, no decision was made either way.

Borough council held the special meeting to consider reopening the 2022 budget, which was passed with no tax increase in December 2021. The meeting notice indicated council was going to review funding for groups like Catasauqua Main Streets, George Taylor House, Public Library of Catasauqua and more.

Representatives of various groups addressed council about the benefits their organizations bring to the borough. They planned to object to any budget cuts to their programs.

Borough organizations can actually save the borough tax dollars because of volunteer activities. If they did not exist, their services may require the borough’s public works to perform those duties at the taxpayers’ expense.

Council also heard from Vincent Smith, former council president, who told members opening the budget without a clear understanding of governmental budgeting could cost taxpayers “a couple thousand dollars in advertising costs” at a minimum.

Ultimately, council members made no decision that night.

A budget is simply a road map for guiding expenditures. Council can vote to not fund items contained within the budget at any time during the calendar year.

“The budget is not carved in stone,” Smith noted after the Jan. 24 meeting.