Baldwin-Whitehall Tax Increase Looms

BALDWIN, PA -- Baldwin-Whitehall School District directors next week are expected to adopt a 2017-18 budget that would result in a 0.36-mill tax increase.

If the spending plan is approved at the June 14 board meeting, taxes on a home with the median property value in Baldwin ($99,000) would increase nearly $36 annually. It would mark the third consecutive year the district has raised taxes after an increase of 0.83-mills this year and 0.81 mills in 2015-16.

District officials contend that rising enrollment has prompted a need for 10 additional employees. But revenue from the tax hike, which would set the rate at 19.61 mills, won’t be enough to cover the cost of the staffing increase. To balance the budget, the district likely will need to tap into its $4.5 million unassigned fund balance.

Photo by Airpix via Creative Commons..