A proposed preliminary budget approved by the Avonworth School Board will include a higher tax rate -- and more revenue -- than first expected.

In the week since its work session on Jan. 9, officials recalculated the proposed 2012-13 budget based on the latest decision in the Allegheny County reassessment effort that will allow local governments to use the old assessment numbers this year while the reassessment is completed.

Dominic Angeloini Dominic A. Angeloini, 80, of the North Side, husband of the late Catherine M. Angeloini, died Tuesday, July 12, 2011. He is survived by three daughters, Angie and her husband Todd, Patty and her husband Brian and Toni and her husband Jack; his sister, Philomena; six grandchildren, Christina, Brandon, Nicole, Ashley, Zackery and Miranda; two great-grandchildren, Anthony and J.T.; nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews; and his dog, Ginger. He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Mary Angeloini; and two siblings, Art Angeloini and Betty McBurney.

The Avonworth School District will seek a second state exception that could allow the school board to increase property taxes by even more.

Pennsylvania's Act I limits the amount that a school district can raise taxes without voter approval.Under the Act I index, Avonworth is permitted to raise taxes no more than .28 mills in the coming year.

The board previously took steps to apply for an Act I exception that would allow them to raise taxes by an additional .23 mills based on increased pension contributions.

Taking advantage of favorable interest rates, the Avonworth School Board voted Monday to add $20 million to the district’s debt to cover the cost of a proposed primary center.

A last ditch legal challenge to stop the changes scheduled to go into effect today at Allegheny General Hospital - Suburban Campus is running into challenges of its own. Attorneys for West Penn Allegheny Health System and the Suburban General Hospital Advisory Board were in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Thursday, appearing before Judge Ronald Folino.

At issue was whether the court should issue an injunction stopping the hospital from closing its emergency room and inpatient units, and whether the group asking for the injunction had any legal right to do so.

Bellevue officials are having trouble figuring out how they are going to pay a pool management company just hired by the borough.

Council members Linda Woshner and Jane Braunlich pointed out that council budgeted only $56,000 for pool salaries this year, and hiring Swim America for the summer will cost the borough $85,000.

Finance committee chairman Mark Panichella said that the borough treasurer had referred council to a particular budgetary line item, only it turned out that the line item of $122,000 referred to revenue, not expenditures.

Tempers flared at Emsworth Council's regular meeting on Wednesday during a normally routine item on council's agenda.

When it came time to approve the boroughs bill’s for the month, finance committee chairman David Heflin questioned two of the expenditures on the bill list, neither of which had received pre-approval from council.

The first was $321 for an appreciation dinner held for former borough solicitor Mike Marmo. The second was the painting of two of the borough's trucks at a cost of $1,500.

Budget cuts?

Avonworth administrators may look to budget cuts for Avonworth Elementary School in order to provide additional consulting services at the school.

Board treasurer Frank Mucha said at the board's regular meeting on Monday that the district is looking at entering into an agreement with John Esaias for consulting services for the first semester of this school year.

The agreement would pay Esaias $50 per hour, to work two days a week, at a cost not to exceed $12,500.