Hempfield could double its milling rate to support expenses for 10 fire departments.

This would be the first tax increase in more than three decades.

County leaders this week discussed a preliminary $17 million budget that includes $3 million in property taxes. The tax levy has not changed since 1990.

But Supervisor Tom Logan later proposed an additional $3 million tax to cover increased fire costs without cutting the county’s road paving budget. This would bring the property tax to 6 mills and increase the average tax bill to $163.

“I think we’ve done an excellent job over the years of managing, expanding and squeezing out all the government inefficiencies we can,” he said, “but I don’t see how we’re going to move forward while keeping everything under the current 3-mill property tax structure.”

The $17 million budget includes nearly 1 million subtractions from the town’s typical $2.5 million pavement allocation to account for increased fire department expenses and three new full-time staff positions (an assistant town manager, an additional park maintenance worker and a Hempfield Township Athletic Complex facility). The dollar is making a cut. manager.

Logan opposed cutting the road paving budget.

“I am concerned that we have cut our paving budget in half, which means when you go back 5, 6, 7 or 10 years, we will only be paving a quarter of what we used to do,” Logan said. “And if we continue this process, our highway infrastructure will deteriorate significantly quite quickly.”

Logan recognized the need to increase fire department funding. The preliminary budget proposed Wednesday included $2.1 million for the county fire department.

“To date, we have invested several million dollars from our general fund into fire and emergency services,” he said. “Part of our budget process that we do is providing a service in Unity Township.”

A special $3 million fire tax would increase the county’s revenues to about $18.6 million.

County supervisors will vote on two budgets at Monday’s meeting, one with a 3-mill tax rate and the other with a 6-mill tax rate.

Expected revenues from the original $17 million budget include approximately $15.4 million from general government, approximately $543,00 from community development, approximately $583,000 from parks and recreation, $385,000 from public safety and $150,000 from public works.

Of the expected expenditures, approximately $6.6 million is from general government, approximately $874,00 is from community development, approximately $364,000 is from finance, approximately $1.5 million is from parks and recreation, approximately $2.2 million is from public safety, and approximately $5.5 million is from public works. is coming.

The average assessed property value in the county is $27,266. Between county, school district and township taxes, residents pay about $122 million. One mill brings about $530,000 to the county, Finance Director Lloyd Fait said.

County Manager Aaron Siko said Risign retiree benefit costs also place a significant burden on the county.

“The cost of doing business in every aspect of local government has increased, and we see in the liquid fund account balances distributed by the state to local municipalities, these funds continue to decline,” Siko said. “We get paid less, and ultimately costs go up, so we can do less.”

Relating to:

• West Hempfield primary school site could house new fire station
• Hempfield approves budget without raising taxes for 32nd consecutive year
• Hempfield supervisors delay vote to announce part-time fire driver position