Wheatland council passed a 2003 budget Friday that is based on a 4-mill real estate tax hike,

The tax ordinance, setting the levy at 15 mills, won't be adopted until Jan. 8.

Council also approved a 4-percent salary increase for borough employees and an additional $200 in solicitor William Madden's retainer.

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 Wheatland 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 toward 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.