HONESDALE, PA — Last Monday, borough council unanimously moved to tentatively adopt a 2020 budget which will raise residents’ taxes by about 13 percent.

The tentative budget does not include money to hire additional police officers. If it had, residents could have expected about a 20 percent increase in taxes.

After lengthy discussion between councilors and members of the public, council voted to cut Honesdale police coverage down to one shift per day, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and leave the remaining two shifts to PA State Police. Mike Augello, Robert Jennings and James Brennan voted yes—despite the fact that Jennings and Brennan have been outspoken advocates for hiring more police. Tim Lauffenburger and James Jennings both voted no—neither were present at the previous meeting where the issue was discussed in more depth, and both said Monday night’s vote may have been premature.

As is almost always the case, councilors Travis Rivera and Bill Canfield were not at the meeting.

This is likely not the final word on police issues in Honesdale. Brennan clarified several times that just because the budget does not include funds for hiring more police officers, doesn’t mean that they can’t go over budget and do it at some point next year.