Chesco eyes first tax hike in four years
Residents in one of the fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania stand to pay more in county taxes for the first time in four years, according to a preliminary budget Chester County officials unveiled Wednesday.
Residents in one of the fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania stand to pay more in county taxes for the first time in four years, according to a preliminary budget Chester County officials unveiled Wednesday.
The owner of a home with the county's median value would pay about $34 more per year, a nearly 5 percent increase, under the plan. The county's median home price is just over $300,000, according to county and state figures.
Mark Rupsis, Chester County's chief operating officer, said the county has shown a "pretty good track record."
"I dare say the price of government here is very reasonable," he said at a government meeting in West Chester on Wednesday.
The tax increase would generate about $7.5 million for the county.
The money would go toward funding capital projects, including public safety improvements, such as a firing range for police officers set to open in January 2018, the county's new emergency voice radio system, improvements to the public safety training center, and upgrades to the emergency dispatch system. These initiatives cost more than $92 million, according to county officials.
The preliminary budget is $548 million, a 0.48 percent increase over the current budget.
County officials statewide must adopt their budgets by Dec. 31. The exception is Philadelphia, which has a fiscal year that starts July 1.
Montgomery County officials are scheduled to present a preliminary budget Nov. 17. Bucks County officials plan to follow on Nov. 23. A Delaware County spokeswoman could not be reached Wednesday afternoon.
Seven priorities are guiding Chester County officials in developing the budget, they said. They include ensuring safe communities, supporting economic growth, enhancing transportation systems to reduce traffic congestion, and managing population growth and land use.
County leaders said a top priority also is maintaining the fund balance, which ensured the county could continue administering public services while the state withheld funds during last year's budget crisis.
Officials identified several challenges to the budget, including a 5.7 percent increase in health-care costs to $26.7 million.
Despite a significant population bump and an increase in property values, the county's total property-tax base has been stagnant in recent years. Real estate appreciated about 10 percent between 2011 and 2015, according to the most recent available state figures, but the overall assessed values upon which taxes are based went up only 1 percent, from $36.6 million to $36.9 million.
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