Budget Breakdown: What Tax Hike Will The Yardley Borough Council Pay?

YARDLEY, PA —With the public review of the borough's 2023 preliminary budget completed on Friday, the Borough Council plans on finalizing the budget for adoption at its Dec. 6 meeting.

Borough officials, in their budget presentation earlier this month, outlined the tax hike for the average homeowner at $37.05.

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

Council President Caroline Thompson also outlined how much of a tax increase the seven council members would pay.

Thompson said she felt it was important to let borough residents know that they are also impacted in maintaining transparency. Residents in the Nov. 8 election rejected a ballot question to have the size of the council reduced from seven to five members.

According to Thompson, the following council members will pay this much more in taxes:

• Caroline Thompson —$69
• David Appelbaum —$44
• Matt Curtin —$77
• John McCann —$35
• Don Carlson —$88
• Kim Segal-Morris —$21
• Matt Ross —$17

"Our revenue is relatively static," said Curtin, who helped put the budget together, at the budget presentation meeting. "But our expenses continue to go up."

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.

"No one wants to raise taxes," McCann said. "Unfortunately, we have to do it. It's a small tax increase that is reasonable with the circumstances."

Appelbaum said at the meeting that he'd be willing to pay a bigger tax increase if it would help the borough in the future with expenses.

"I can go with one less meal out to dinner," he said. "I feel good about my contribution to the borough. I'd be happy to pay a little bit more."