$37 Tax Hike In 2023 Preliminary Budget For Average Yardley Resident

YARDLEY, PA —Residents interested in viewing or discussing the borough's 2023 budget now have their chance before it gets adopted next month.

At its meeting earlier this month, Borough Manager Paula Johnson presented the budget to Borough Council and the public that includes a 1,34-millage increase which basically translates to a $37.05 tax hike for the average homeowner.

Public inspection of the preliminary budget, which the council adopted, runs through Friday, Nov. 25, with the borough planning on voting on the final budget at its Dec. 6 meeting.

The $1.5 million budget has 24 mills ($839,000) going for general purposes with the remaining 6 mills devoted to fire protection, street improvements and street lighting, recreation, and ambulance service, Johnson said.

With the average home assessed at $27,643, the tax hike amounts to a $37.05 increase to raise a homeowner's municipal portion of the tax bill to $831.26. Homes in Yardley were last assessed in the 1970s.

Following Johnson's presentation, Councilman Matt Curtin explained where Yardley stands on finances.

"Our revenue is relatively static," said Curtin, who helped put the budget together on the finance committee. "But our expenses continue to go up."

Curtin said that fuel, heat and anything else the borough buys has increased in price due to inflation. He also mentioned "there is a cost" for having "outstanding police service."

Curtin also said that he was pleased that borough officials worked to reduce the millage increase from 2 to 1.34 over the past month. Curtin had announced last month that a tax hike was looming.

"I do not want to raise your taxes at all," said Curtin, adding that certain projects were "dramatically more expensive than anticipated."

"It's never a good time to raise taxes," he said. "People are feeling that (inflation) at home now."

New Councilman Don Carlson said he reviewed the budget by each line item looking for areas to tighten but that with the "perfect storm" of inflation, the borough needs to deal with the situation.

He believed that "modest increases" were the way to go. Carlson also suggested the borough does a quarterly review of its finances in the future to avoid falling "too far behind."

Council President Caroline Thompson said borough officials did everything possible to keep the tax increase within reason.

"It's either run a deficit or make cuts and cuts have already been made," she said. "We've gone over it with a fine-tooth comb."

Councilmen John McCann and David Appelbaum said they stood behind the tax increase.

Curtin and Carlson also informed residents that they would be able to meet with anyone to go over the preliminary budget and were also open to suggestions.

"We have times to meet and review the budget with the public," Curtin said. "I do want to spend a decent part of the back end of November doing so."

"It's not a simple document," Carlson said. "I'm retired. I have the time to walk people through it."

While the council approved the preliminary budget and also advertised it, officials said that the millage can be changed before adoption.