Mt. Lebanon’s 2026 Manager’s Recommended Budget calls for improvements to ballfields, renovations to the library and more work on the Washington Road streetscape project.

Mt. Lebanon’s 2023 comprehensive plan reflected residents’ desire for improvements to the municipality’s parks and recreation facilities, something a majority of survey respondents identified as their highest priority.

If approved, a proposed $6 million bond issue would fund improvements to Brafferton, Middle and Clint Seymour fields; expanded parking on Cedar Boulevard, near the fields; the first phase of the Activate Uptown enhancements to the Washington Road business district and the first phase of a revitalization plan for Mt. Lebanon Public Library. The bond issue, which would be repaid over a 10- to 15-year period, allows the municipality to complete the projects without increasing taxes.

Mt. Lebanon’s total combined budget for next year is proposed to be $72.8 million, with an operating budget of $43.2 million, which covers day-to-day expenses.

The proposed bond issue includes $790,000 of the $1.54 million for the first phase of a revitalization and reconfiguration project at the library. Library staff are pursuing grant money to offset the remaining cost.

Next year’s budget allots $4.87 million for sanitary sewer improvements, $2.275 million for street reconstruction and $690,880 for improvements to the storm sewer system. Mt. Lebanon’s stormwater fund has paid for  significant improvements to the system without cutting into the operating budget. To fund further stormwater system improvements, maintenance and expansion, the municipality began increasing the stormwater fee in 2024, and will continue to increase it over the next decade. Next year’s increase will bring the fee to $11.39 per month. Also, the trash and recycling collection fee will increase to $345 per household unit.

Other budget items include $148,000 for the purchase of a new dump truck that can also plow snow; $145,200 for two police vehicles,  $117,500 for further work on the exterior of the public safety building and exterior repairs to the public works building; $79,800 for ballistic police helmets and $78,900 for a traffic vehicle.

The Mt. Lebanon Commission held several budget workshops in November, which residents can view on Comcast channel 17, Verizon channel 34 and mtlebanon.org. The Commission will hold a public hearing and will vote on adopting the budget at its December 9 meeting.