$60,000 of Salt: Where 2013 Tax Dollars Will Go In Pottstown

It's salt. It's needed for snow removal. But, Pottstown Borough needs to set aside $60,000 for it just in 2013's snowy seasons.

Have you ever wondered where your tax dollars go? It takes a lot to operate a borough, and Pottstown is no different. In fact, it takes $38,530,729 to operate a full year of borough functions.

But what's included in that $38 million price tag?

Pottstown Borough posts its annual budget each year on the borough's website. It is available for all of the public to download and read. In total, it consumes 64 pages of "light reading."

There are a lot of interesting spends listed, though. Take for example, bus schedules. The borough is responsible for printing local bus schedules. To do so, the borough council has set aside $18,000 for 2013.

School safety is crucial, as well. The borough, supported by grant funding, has put aside $225,000 for "Safe Routes to School" for the borough's five school buildings.

The borough will spend $35,000 on painting lines for traffic regulations in 2013. A total of $300,000 is slated for "Repave or Reconstruct roadways" in the coming year.

What will the borough bring in? According to the council's estimates, Real Estate taxes collected in Pottstown will bring in around $408,848. The borough calculates the figure based on a 92 percent "collection rate," meaning the council is aware not all residents will pay their taxes or pay on time.

Want to take a closer look at the spending? Check the budget for the Borough of Pottstown for 2013 here.