Lansdale Borough Council approved a 16% property tax increase with their 2023 budget during last week’s council business meeting.
Council approved a 1-mill increase to the budget for next year, which not only has boosted the tax bill for an average borough homeowner to about $900 a year, but will also generate $800,000 in new revenue for Lansdale, per The Reporter.
Per Dan Sokil on Twitter, council Vice President Mary Fuller said, “There are things that we can’t not fund, and the only way to fund it is this solution.” Councilman BJ Breish said he re-examined the budget line by line to find more cuts.
A major reason for the tax increase — new employee hires across numerous departments.The increase would boost a resident’s annual tax bill with a home assessed at $120,000 from around $750 at present to $870 in 2023, or about $72.50 a month.
Borough Council President Denton Burnell said earlier this month that borough staff went through the budget to find ways to reduce the numbers, but all opportunities were “unpalatable.”
“There’s a shortfall in the budget of $445,000, if we don’t hire anybody. In order to close that gap, that’s a half-mill, at least, minimum, unless we did some other reductions,” said Burnell in the article. “But there are a few items in here which I think we can consider.”
The initial budget draft showed a total of $63 million in revenues and expenses, with a majority of spending earmarked for capital projects, at $10 million, and eight potential new hires at a cost of around $800,000.
“I don’t see how we get any of that done without the full mill (increase), and we’ll have to make some very deliberate decisions to delay our hiring until probably the second quarter of the year,” Burnell said earlier this month.
Per the report, these potential new hires include three police officers ($333,000 in salary and benefits), two public works employees ($201,000), and one new hire each for the parks and recreation department ($85,000) and the finance department ($106,000).
The 2022 budget had a 0.5-mill increase and $313,000 in federal COVID stimulus funds to offset revenues due to the pandemic, per the report, and the millage boost “makes up for that stopgap solution.”
Several council members earlier this month sounded off on the proposed budget increase.
“So, a one mill increase is barely going to balance us? The whole point of going through this was, we thought we were balanced coming into this budget season. And then we thought that, if we did a mill, that would be building some cushion of reserve funds,” said councilwoman Mary Fuller at the meeting earlier this month.
“People want investment, and I would argue we should be giving them what they’re asking or, and living up to our full potential. I would rip the band-aid off, and invest in this community,” said councilman Mark Ladley.
“None of us up here want to raise taxes. Nobody wants to do that. We understand what that is to our residents. But we understand we are under an obligation to provide the services this town needs, and I am supportive of it,” said councilwoman Meg Currie Teoh.
“Although I have gone through the budget extremely diligently, I’m not done. And I’m going to continue to look at this budget, and continue to ask questions, and continue to make sure that we are indeed doing everything we possibly can do,” said councilman BJ Breish a few weeks ago. “I will be voting yes on this, but that does not mean I’m in favor. Just because I haven’t found the money, doesn’t mean I won’t in two weeks.”
“We have to draw a line somewhere, eventually,” said councilman Andrew Carroll.
See also:
North Wales Borough Passes 2023 Budget with No Tax Increase
Hatfield Township Proposed 2023 Budget Carries No Tax Increase
Towamencin Supervisors Proposing 25% Property Tax Increase for 2023
Montco Commissioners Vote to Advertise 2023 Budget with 8% Tax Increase
