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<p>PLYMOUTH &#8212; Borough council was able to override new Mayor Thomas McTague&#8217;s veto of its 2018 budget with a 6-1 vote Sunday with Councilman Bill Dixon the only one in opposition.</p><p>Before the vote, Dixon announced he had submitted his resignation, but council refused to act on it. So for now, Dixon remains in his seat.</p><p>The budget calls for a 25 percent increase in police spending to beef up officer ranks, allows for the continued operation of three fire houses, plus retains the borough&#8217;s current fire staff of two full-time drivers and 11 part-time firefighters.</p><p>Council members Frank Coughlin, Gary Kochinski, Clyde Peters, Earl Cunningham, Donna Manglaviti and John Thomas voted in favor of overriding the veto.</p><p>The override means that a $1.6 million balanced budget with a whopping 17.9 percent property tax increase will stand.</p><p>Coughlin, who cast his vote in favor of the override &#8220;with reservations,&#8221; said the veto by the newly elected mayor was expected.</p><p>&#8220;The new mayor wasn&#8217;t involved in drafting the new budget, and he didn&#8217;t want to sign anything he didn&#8217;t fully understand,&#8221; said Coughlin. &#8220;There was no drama involved.&#8221;</p><p>Preceding the vote, Dixon announced he had offered his resignation Jan. 4, which was to be effective Jan. 31.</p><p>Dixon said comments on social media, especially Facebook, had fueled his decision.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve read comments on social media that if there was a fire at my house, the fire department may not respond,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This is my family&#8217;s safety that I&#8217;m concerned about.&#8221;</p><p>Dixon has had a long history of animosity with Mary Jarrett, administrator of several Plymouth borough-related sites on Facebook, including the Plymouth Suggestion Box.</p><p>But resident Carin Borland said posts related to Plymouth on social media were &#8220;not horrible,&#8221; and they provided opportunity for discussion and the exchange of information. </p><p>Both Coughlin and council president Kochinski refused to move to accept Dixon&#8217;s resignation.</p><p>&#8220;I will not offer your name for resignation at this time,&#8221; Coughlin said to Dixon. &#8220;Please take a step back and think about it.&#8221;</p><p>Coughlin indicated council would accept Dixon&#8217;s resignation at its next meeting, if Dixon had not changed his mind by then.</p><p><strong>Officer pay hike</strong></p><p>In another matter, Kochinski said the borough was drafting an ordinance that would raise the starting salary of a full-time police officer from $18.46 to $20.76.</p><p>Kochinski hopes the increase would attract more full-time officer candidates.</p><p>He anticipates the ordinance, which will be introduced at the next meeting, would also bring officers to full salary in two years rather than four. </p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Plymouth council voted Sunday to reverse the mayor&#8217;s veto of the 2018 budget that increases police spending with a nearly 18 percent tax hike. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_plymoutHMAINCMYK.jpg</photo0><caption0>Plymouth council voted Sunday to reverse the mayor&#8217;s veto of the 2018 budget that increases police spending with a nearly 18 percent tax hike. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_plymouthCMYK3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"><p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;>Plymouth Council President Gary Kochinski was one of six borough council members to vote to override the new mayor&#8217;s veto of the 2018 budget. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_plymouthCMYK3.jpg</photo1><caption1><p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;>Plymouth Council President Gary Kochinski was one of six borough council members to vote to override the new mayor&#8217;s veto of the 2018 budget. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_PlymouthCMYK2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Plymouth councilman Bill Dixon&#8217;s eyes welled up and he was shaking as he asked for council to consider his resignation. Council did not act on Dixon&#8217;s request, and he will stay in his seat for now. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_PlymouthCMYK2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Plymouth councilman Bill Dixon&#8217;s eyes welled up and he was shaking as he asked for council to consider his resignation. Council did not act on Dixon&#8217;s request, and he will stay in his seat for now. </caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach the Times Leader at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Plymouth council overrides budget veto, refuses to act on Dixon resignation