Real estate taxes in Ross could rise by 1 mill, according to the township’s 2025 draft budget as presented at the Nov. 6 board of commissioners committee meeting.

“I believe that this budget sensibly appropriates the funds to which the township has available, while real estate reassessments, inflation and large projects cause a need to raise the real estate tax for the first time in 14 years,” finance director Dan Berty wrote to commissioners in the message accompanying the draft budget.

Ross increased the rate previously to correspond with the most recent reassessment of all property in Allegheny County.

The draft budget projects an estimated $28.4 million in expenditures for the general fund, which covers municipal operations. The total represents an increase of 5.9% over the current year, which is attributable primarily to rises in “personnel cost, street lighting projects, pension obligations, traffic signals and building improvements,” according to the document.

“Staff will continue to review cost savings, while maintaining internal controls to ensure expenditures are within township guidelines,” Berty wrote.

Public safety — including police, fire, emergency management, school crossing guards and law enforcement insurance expenses — represents the largest area for appropriations, at $10.43 million, an increase of 3.49% compared with 2024.

Expenditures for public works are projected to rise by 14.89%, to $8.02 million, covering facets such as building and road maintenance, refuse and recycling, snow Removal, traffic control, street lighting, storm sewers and maintenance vehicle repairs. A major project for 2025 is replacing the municipal building roof.

Township revenue, meanwhile, suffers from a $44.83 million decrease in the overall assessed value of taxable property, according to the draft budget.

Raising the real estate rate by 1 mill would generate an estimated $9.550 million in property taxes, or 34.13% more than the current year. The amount constitutes slightly over one-third of total general fund revenues, which are projected to rise by $1.597 million.

Part of the budget message addresses the township’s plans for 2025, which include:

• Commitment of $10,000 to trail projects and $320,000 to improvements at Bruno Sammartino Park, parking lots at Winhorst and Seville parks, Evergreen Park gabion baskets and foot bridge, and Scharmyn Park playground equipment replacements.

• Through state Green Light-Go grant funding, the township has budgeted to replace traffic lights at Thompson Run Road at Babcock Road and Babcock at Rochester Road.

• A women’s locker room and restroom are to be created in the police department.

• The township has preliminary plans to install a digital billboard at the public works entrance way, off Cemetery Lane.

A public hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled during the commissioners’ regular monthly meeting on Nov. 18.

The schedule calls for advertising for ordinance approvals on Nov. 22 and commissioners voting on adoption Dec. 2.

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