30-Year Streak: Bensalem Township Holds The Line On Municipal Taxes

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA —It's a streak that continues for three decades.

During that period, township residents have never seen a municipal tax increase. And they won't for 2023 either.

"The township is in great shape; it's another year and the 30th year I have presented a budget to council, and we have never had a real estate tax increase in our general fund in all of those years," Bensalem Township Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo told the Borough Council recently. "And we are very proud of that."

Residents are not only paying the same amount of municipal taxes, but some are getting money back as well.

In October, the mayor sent a letter to Bensalem homeowners —naming members of the Township Council as well —that he was delivering on a budget promise to provide $300 as part of the Homeowners Assistance Grant Program.

The program is funded through Parx Casino host fees. According to the adopted budget, the township projects casino revenue at $12 million, which makes up 23 percent of the township's total revenue.

DiGirolamo presented the preliminary budget to the council in November. And it was unanimously adopted during a budget hearing earlier this month.

Each department head presented their portion of the more than $50 million municipal spending plan to the council who then asked questions or made comments.

In his presentation, Public Works Director Tim Schultz stated that the township had gathered "more salt than ever" to weather the winter storms.

Nearly 70 percent of the spending is devoted to the police department, Council Chairman Joseph Knowles said.

Knowles said he was impressed by where the township stands.

"We are the 10th largest community in Pennsylvania," he said. "We have 140 acres of open space and a new park in Trevose. I'm really happy that we're getting through a bad situation with the economy, Covid, and interest rates."

After the budget's approval, Knowles said the streak is impressive, although difficult in trying times when other municipalities have had to increase taxes. Falls Township recently did for the first time since 1992.

"To have a budget that we don't raise municipal taxes and we give $300 back, to have the police and public safety that we have and the best department heads around and with all the new people implemented into the mayor's administration, we're running this organization like a well-oiled machine," Knowles said. "We have a great future."