MUNCY – Muncy Borough Council members approved a $912,200 balanced budget for 2013 with no tax hike. This year’s budget keeps real estate taxes at $3.5 million – a relief after the 0.5-mill increase used to balance last year’s budget.

Council was able to create a balanced budget by moving money from the emergency relief fund into other areas. About $20,000 was taken from the fund and used to fund part-time police and street maintenance.

“Essentially what you’re agreeing to is that $912,200 is our expected income,” Elaine McAleer told council.

Another topic discussed was the need to purchase updated radios for members of the borough’s police force. Police Chief Richard Sutton explained that the current radios are old and lack some basic safety features. “This is becoming a safety issue,” Sutton said. “In the last six months we’ve ‘Tazed’ more people than we have in the last three years,” he added. He explained that identifiers would allow emergency personnel to pinpoint which officer is in trouble and where, based on the radio he or she is using.

Updating the current radios would cost about $200 a piece, according to Sutton. He suggested that the police could give their old radios to another department, such as maintenance.

Council unanimously approved $4,500 for the purchase of five new radios.