At a special meeting Monday morning Stoneboro Council members gave final approval to a 2004 budget package that includes higher taxes and sewage rates for the borough.

General fund expenditures are estimated at $287,757 and projected revenues $290,032 for 2004.

Sewer fund revenues are estimated at $178,783 and expenditures at $165,079.

In the water fund, estimated numbers are $196,597 in revenues and $183,739 in expenditures; and for the liquid fuels fund they are expecting $23,796 in revenues and $23,700 in expenditures.

Real estate taxes will go up from 13.3 mills to 15 mills -- about 12 percent -- and per capita taxes will double, leaping from this year's $5 to $10 in 2004.

A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value based on the last assessment in the 1970s. For example, a typical property assessed at $20,000 would carry a $300 a year real estate tax bill.

Sewage rates jump from 120 percent of the water bill to 125 percent, which for the average resident means a $67 quarterly bill will go up $3 to $70.