Addition Of New Police Officers Drives Proposed Tax Hike In Doylestown

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — The Doylestown Borough Council on Dec. 18 is scheduled to enact its 2024 budget, which will boost taxes by three mills to fund additional police protection.

The increase, which will cost the average borough homeowner $90.61, will fund the hiring of two new full-time police officers for the Central Bucks Regional Police Department (CPRPD) boosting the department's law enforcement personnel from 26 to 28 officers.

The proposed expansion of the department resulted from an internal study in 2020 and an independent study by SafeCity Solutions in 2022 that recommended the hiring of new officers.

Chalfont and New Britain Boroughs, which are also served by the CBRPD, are also expected to increase property taxes in 2024 to fund their share of the expansion.

With the increase, the Doylestown Borough municipal tax continues to be the smallest portion of a borough homeowner's overall tax bill, accounting for 11.98 percent of the total taxes paid.

All other property taxes including road, fire, ambulance, and debt service will remain at 2023 levels.

Water Rates To Increase

While water rates remain among the lowest in the region, residents will see their average quarterly household water bill increase by $6.35 in 2024 as the borough continues to take steps to address the national PFOS/PFAS contamination crisis.

The increase will primarily fund the addition of a third full-time water operator necessary to operate anticipated new treatment systems. The cost of these systems could reach $10 million over the next five years, according to borough officials. Nearly $400,000 in design costs are included in the 2024 budget.

Reserve Fund

Under the Capital Projects/Reserve Fund, which was created in the early 1990s to provide for both capital and emergency expenditures, the borough is allocating funding for the following projects in 2024:

• Completion of the Fonthill Castle Streambank Improvement Project, mandated by the Commonwealth as part of the borough’s MS4 Pollution Reduction Plan at a cost of $600,000. The project will be funded entirely by American Rescue Plan Funds (ARPA).

• $73,000 is budgeted for the installation of public restroom facilities for Broad Commons Park and playground in the unfinished space at Doylestown Borough Hall on Doyle Street.

• $80,000 is budgeted for traffic calming on Veterans Lane, including a pedestrian activated crosswalk signal, speed tables, and bike lanes.

• $22,000 is budgeted for the borough’s share of the Swamp Road “Green Light Go” project, which will link and upgrade the signalized intersections on Swamp Road shared by the borough, Doylestown Township, and Buckingham Township. The project is aimed at improving traffic flow through the busy corridor by synchronizing the signals.

Road Improvement Fund

Under the borough's road improvement fund, which is projected to generate about $177,000 in 2024, the following roadways will be repaved/reconstructed in 2024:

• Broad Street & ADA Pavement Repair (Union to Doyle)
• Lacey Avenue (Main to North)
• West Court Street (Memorial to Lafayette)
• Lafayette Street
• West Oakland Avenue (Franklin to Clinton)
• East Court Street (Main to Broad)
• Lincoln Avenue (half)