Mayoral Musings: Second Draft of Lansdale’s 2024 Budget Carries No Tax Increase

Mayor Garry Herbert•

On Wednesday night, council and I received the second draft of the proposed 2024 budget. As noted in prior musings, council and myself have been engaged in productive and proactive discussions on how to deliver a budget that is financially responsible, properly invests in our community’s continued redevelopment, and avoids onerous tax increases on residents.

The latest draft of the 2024 budget is balanced without a tax increase and will be presented to council for a vote in December. After several weeks of discussion and review, we were able to identify operating line items that could be reasonably reduced without dramatically reducing our level of service to the community. Those cuts include:

Reductions in overtime expenses in the police department and public works
Reductions in Façade Grant funding for Main Street businesses
Reallocation of tree trimming and IT contracts
Reduction of capital improvements for police equipment (mainly vehicle upgrades)
Reduction in new emergency services funding, not related to our internal emergency management

These reductions allow for us to free up $250,000 annually for the issuance, and repayment, of a $10 million bond that will help fund all the following improvements to the borough over the next ten years:

Complete rehabilitation of Norway Drive, Willow Street, and the resurfacing of other roads
Clean energy projects at the WWTP and/or expansion of local solar power to decrease expenditures in non-local power
New borough-wide camera network upgrades to enhance our police Borough Watch services
Rehabilitation of the Wissahickon streambank ensuring our waterways remain healthy and clean
Upgrading electric substations to improve our electrical grid resiliency
Replacing an aging bucket truck to ensure electric repairs can be completed in a timely manner
East Main Street streetscape improvements that will enhance the look and feel of our downtown
Upgrades to our WWTP and pump stations to ensure we are functioning efficiently
Improvements to White’s Road Park restrooms and resurfacing park lots
ADA compliant pool chairs and a new lawn mower for our parks

Without the bond’s instant infusion of needed funds, we would be delaying most, if not all, of these capital projects long into the future, at which point they would inevitably cost more due to continued degradation, neglect, and/or cost increases. All these projects are vital to the sustainability and livability of our community, and we are a better place to live, work, and play when we invest in ourselves and build toward a better future.

Going forward, we know that more roadwork and capital projects will come up. The necessary repairs and improvements to the community always outpace the funds to complete them. It is my hope that we will continue to discuss non-tax-based revenue sources, such as vacancy fees, to help alleviate future tax increases while still being able to complete needed improvements to our infrastructure.

However, for now, it looks like we will have a 2024 budget with no tax increase and the ability to immediately take up critical infrastructure improvements that will keep our community moving forward, together.

(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert. The views expressed are his own and are not representative of North Penn Now or Lansdale Borough.)