Phoenixville School Board Proposes 2.4 Percent Tax Increase

PHOENIXVILLE, PA - The Phoenixville School Board proposed a 2.4 tax increase in their preliminary budget for 2016-17 in a meeting on Wednesday.

That 2.4 percent is largest tax increase the district can impose under law without a voter referendum.

The owner of a $133,540, the borough median, would pay an additional $92 a year, which would equate to $3,950 in real estate taxes, the Times Herald reports.

Officials reiterated that the final budget would look much different.

“I personally wish they wouldn’t call it a budget at all,” said Josh Gould, a board member, according to the Times Herald. “It’s nothing that’s ever going to get approved and executed, because we’ve got several months to get from preliminary to final. The purpose of the preliminary budget isn’t to set a budget. It’s to determine whether or not you need to go to referendum.”

Members added that due to the budget stalemate in Harrisburg, they were forced to make several assumptions about their funding for the future. The Phoenixville budget could radically change depending on the state budget alone.