Telford Borough
The borough approved an ordinance to establish a new rental inspection program
The Telford Borough Council Monday, December 8 adopted the borough’s 2026 budget with a 3.1% property tax increase.
The budget projects total revenues of $3,148,109 and expenses of $3,105,982. The tax increase will amount to an extra $30 per year for the average homeowner with an assessed property value of $120,000.
The increase is part of a series of planned incremental tax increases to bolster the borough’s capital fund in anticipation of future infrastructure projects, said borough secretary Bryan Poster.
“There’s very little money in [the capital fund],” said Poster. “Moving forward, if we do have those projects that need to be done in an emergency situation, we will have money in there to be able to do them. And if we do go for a grant, a lot of grants take matching dollars. So it would be nice to have 10, 20, 30 percent worth of that to fund that particular project.”
Rental inspection program
The borough approved an ordinance to establish a new rental inspection program. The program requires biannual inspections as well as annual rental license registrations for rental units within the borough. Telford currently has approximately 300 rental units and 800 renters.
The program aims to protect renters from negligent landlords, said council, noting that “many” local tenants have complained of unaddressed maintenance issues, including broken HVAC systems, damaged windows and more.
The property owner or tenant must be present during the inspection. An administrative warrant will be required in the event of a contested rental inspection. Exemptions to the ordinance include owner-occupied units, rentals to immediate family members and institutional housing, assisted living and nursing homes.
Council member Bob Jacobus cast the sole vote against the ordinance, deriding it as a violation of the fourth amendment and an example of the “nanny state.” He instead requested voluntary inspections.
“That’s what America is. Do we go out and take care of ourselves or do we have a government come in and take care of us?” asked Jacobus, adding, “Are we gonna abide by the spirit of America by abiding by the fourth amendment?”
In response, multiple council members argued that voluntary inspections risk landlord retaliation against tenants.
“There are a lot of instances where the landlord will tell you, the resident, ‘If you squawk about it, I’ll increase your rate or I’ll make it more horrible for you to live,’” said council member John Taylor.
“We’re not looking to penalize good landlords,” added council member Robert Sparks. “We’re looking to go after the landlords that are not doing proper maintenance on the property.”
The program is effective January 1, 2026.
Telford Borough Authority changes
Council approved the advertisement of an ordinance containing a series of changes to the Telford Borough Authority, including the addition of stormwater planning, management and implementation to its powers, renaming it the “Telford Regional Authority” and extending its existence for an additional 50 years.
The next Telford Borough Council meeting is on January 12 at 7 p.m. For more information, visit telfordborough.org
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