North Hills School District Taxes Likely To Rise

ROSS TOWNSHIP, PA - North Hills School District taxes will rise under the proposed final 2018-19 budget approved by school directors Thursday evening.

The $84.1 million budget calls for a 0.25 mill tax hike to 18.25 mills. District officials say the $650,000 expected to be generated from the millage increase is needed for increased personnel costs and to bolster safety and security in schools.

What does the millage increase mean? On a home with the $135,000 median value in the district, property taxes will increase $2.82 per month or $33.88 annually.

The district current has the sixth lowest millage rate among Allegheny County’s 41 suburban school districts and the lowest millage rates among the nine northern suburban districts.

"We continue to work diligently to manage our annual operating expenses and responsibly plan for the future in order to minimize the impact on our local taxpayers," David Hall, district director of finance and operations, said in a district release.

The budget marks a 2.5 percent increase in total expenditures, with 2.3 percent of that amount coming from the net addition of 15 new positions in various district departments. Employee wages and benefits continue to be the budget's largest expenditure at a cost of $58.1 million, an increase of 4.1 percent over last year’s personnel costs.

Beyond personnel expenditures, the proposed budget increases by $152,551 or .67 percent.

The district also experienced a 0.20 mill tax hike last year to get to the current 18 mill tax rate. Each North Hills mill is estimated to be worth $2.6 million.

School directors are expected to approve the final budget June 7. If you want to review the document, it’s available online.

Image via Shutterstock.

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