No tax increase called for in East Deer's 2023 budget

Not only will there be no tax increase in East Deer’s 2023 budget, but there will be a decrease in total expenditures.

The proposed $1.3 million budget marks a 12.5% decrease from this year’s budget, largely because of grants being spent and the township joining the Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department.

“The big changes are in grants and major projects; the big changes are in public safety,” Commissioner Tony Taliani said. “We’re saving some money in public safety as a result of joining there, and that’s a part of the reason our budget went down.”

Some of the decreases, for example, come from the township spending down some of its state small water and sewer program grant for local water projects. It is budgeted to spend close to $235,000, down 17.6% from this year’s total of just under $285,000.

Some odd-looking accounting occurs when it comes to police costs. While no money was allocated to the Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department this year, almost $226,000 is in the proposed 2023 budget.

But this is misleading, Taliani said, adding that the township pays less by joining the regional department than having its own police force.

“Last year’s not in our budget for what our own police department was, because for nine months we were in the Allegheny Valley Regional,” he said. “We joined in April. And the first three months in the year we paid them to cover us.

“We’re actually saving the taxpayers money, and we have some advantages to be a member of that organization, such as more full-time police officers. It’s actually a savings. The reason you’re not seeing it is because our chief retired in June of 2021. So we relied on contracting services until we made the final decision to join the Allegheny County Regional.”

In addition, administration costs also dipped to just under $143,000 , a 15.1% decrease. Miscellaneous costs, such as Social Security and tax liens, also decreased about 9% to $493,000.

East Deer technically passed its 2023 budget Dec. 1, but it still has some tweaks to make, Taliani said.

A vote to finalize the budget’s fund balances and other matters will be held at noon Dec. 30 in the township municipal building, 927 Freeport Road.