No New County Taxes In Delco With 2023 Budget Approval

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Delaware County residents will not have any new taxes imposed on them in 2023 with the county's recently adopted 2023 budget.

The Delaware County Council unanimously approved the 2023 budget at the Dec. 14 public meeting, marking no new taxes for a decade.

This year’s budget holds the line on taxes for the 10th consecutive year.

The 2023 budget is $841.08 million, a nearly four percent decrease from the 2022 budget, which was $875.63 million.

"With this year’s budget, Council is building on the commitments we made when we first proposed significant improvements to how Delaware County government works, how it provides services equitably, and how we can work to make our county a place where people want to live, operate a business, and visit" said Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor. "Many of these improvements are long overdue and by being careful, thoughtful stewards of taxpayer’s money, we are not only meeting today’s needs, but also building the foundation for a stronger county for years to come."

The newly adopted budget reflects the transition from the crisis management required to respond to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic to more strategic planning that will allow the county to better manage its costs even while it continues to implement the major priorities of returning the prison to public management and launching a certified health department, according to the county.

While the virus continues to pose ongoing problems, thanks to science, vaccines, immunity, and ongoing public mitigation efforts—the county is emerging stronger in many ways due to investments made in previous budgets.

The county said priorities in the 2023 budget include:

• A new "No Wrong Door" program which will dramatically improve the county’s ability to provide necessary services to residents no matter how or where they come into contact with government.
• The launch of a "Zero Waste" program, which will completely transform the county’s approach to handling waste. Not only will "Zero Waste" create new economic opportunities, but it will put Delaware County at the forefront of communities taking action to protect their natural resources.
• The creation of a new landbank that will allow the county to reinvest in and revive underutilized and abandoned properties, allowing for affordable housing, new commercial development, and additional greenspace.
• The continued transformation of the county’s HR system to focus on building career paths for new workers by increasing training, benefits, and pay to attract and retain highly qualified
• county employees.
• A continued commitment to being careful stewards of taxpayer resources by moving toward a “zero based budgeting” model for certain government agencies.

Full details on the 2023 budget are available online here.