Wheatland council is proposing a 4-mill real estate tax hike in its tentative budget.

If approved, the additional levy, a 36-percent hike, would set the property tax at 15 mills.

A mill is $1 for every $1,000 in assessed property value; assessments are a property's 1970 market value.

The average assessment of a home in the borough is roughly $15,500. A home assessed at that level would see the tax bill climb $62 a year to $232.50.

The $357,246 budget is up 5.3 percent over this year's $339,384 spending plan.

Council said 2 mills of the increase will go to insurance, particularly health insurance and worker's compensation for employees, 1 mill to pay the salary of a part-time street department employee, one-half mill to cover an increase in the assessment of Southwest Mercer County Regional police, and another one-half mill for utility costs.

Southwest has requested an additional 5-percent, taking the line item from $83,335 to $87,502.

Health insurance will rise 15.7 percent to $30,780, and worker's compensation will go up 55 percent to $7,268.

Council set aside $10,000 for the part-time street department employee.

Both street crew members, foreman Al Scoccia and equipment operator Andrew "Bucky" Clarke, have told council they are considering retiring in the next few years.

Council said it wants to hire someone who can get familiar with the equipment, and then slip into a full-time slot once the retirements start.

The borough is accepting applications for the new position.

Utility expense at the municipal building actually shows a slight decrease, from $9,000 to $8,700.

One mill brings in $11,275 in taxes.

Employees will get a 4-percent pay increase, although council also increased employee contributions to the pension fund by 2 percent.

Council plans to adopt a budget at 11:30 a.m. Friday, and the tax ordinance at its Jan. 8 meeting.