RIDGWAY — Ridgway Borough Council was in a negative mood on Monday — adopting a 2017 budget that calls for no tax increase, no water rate hike and no refuse rate escalation.

The budget was passed by a 5 to 2 vote as Councilmen J.R. Geitner and Sam MacDonald opposed the spending plan.

At council’s November meeting, the budget was tentatively approved by a 4 to 3 vote as Councilman Dale Anderson joined Geitner and MacDonald in casting the opposing votes.

The general fund budget, which sits just above $1.8 million, was the center of discussions at previous budget workshop meetings as the councilmen attempted to close a deficit of approximately $115,000.

Councilmen Geitner, MacDonald and Frank Quattrone were in favor of increasing taxes by one mill to help pay for increased police coverage.

Starting in 2016, the borough approved a request by the police department to make sure that two officers are working every shift. This change will require the borough to spend an additional $50,000 on police coverage in 2017.

Ultimately, the four remaining councilmen supported using $115,000 from the borough’s trucked waste fund to cover the general fund deficit.

The general fund budget now features a $188 projected surplus for the year. It will also include $30,000 for the fire department to purchase a side-by-side vehicle.

Anderson opposed the inclusion of this expense in the budget, saying the department did not need a new vehicle.

At Monday’s meeting, several other financial matters were discussed.

As the Main Street Program aims to hire a new Main Street Manager, the program’s steering committee has asked the funding entities for money to restart the program.

Borough Manager Paul McCurdy said, as of right now, the program has no money and can hire someone but would not be able to make any payments to a new hire.

As such, the steering committee has asked for its funding entities to contribute the 2016 funds.

Council, which approved $7,000 for the program in 2016, approved a motion to supply $3,500 from the 2016 funds and the whole $7,000 for 2017.

A motion was made on the basis that the Main Street Manager position was only filled for half a year.

McCurdy said a new Main Street Manager is expected to be hired in the beginning of 2017.

In another motion, council decided to pursue grant funding for a canoe and kayak launch.

This would be the first step of three as the borough looks for money to do a feasibility study to see if a public canoe and kayak launch is feasible for the town.

Geitner opposed the motion, stating that two individuals had businesses that included a kayak launch and those individuals were trying to make a living. He said those individuals should be invited to a council meeting to have input on the project.

Council President Ralph Dussia said the intent of the borough is not to step on the toes of the businesses owners in the area, but rather the intent is to give people that have their own kayaks a place to go that would not impede on private businesses.

The grants, which would come from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), would fund 50 percent of the feasibility study.

In non-financial matters, council discussed snow removal issues in the borough.

McCurdy said borough ordinances require residents to remove snow from sidewalks within 18 hours of snowfall, adding that shoveling snow onto borough streets or alleyways was prohibited.

Speaking of other snow removal problems in the borough, Councilman Dale Anderson suggested the borough create an ordinance that would alternate which side of the street residence can park on.

Anderson said that many people do not move their cars and that causes a problem for the borough’s road crew when they are trying to plow the roads. He suggested implementing a system in which residents would park on opposite sides of the street each day.

Anderson added that he would want this program to start with a few streets in town to see how effective it is in assisting the road crew in snow removal.

He said other municipalities in the area have had success with these types of programs.

The issue will be discussed by the borough’s traffic and parking committee.