Real estate taxes are rising by 25% in Buffalo Township for 2023, but officials see that figure as a distortion.
Township Manager Rich Hill said that while taxes will be going up from 6 mills this year to 7.5 next, the percentage increase is misleading.
When viewing township real estate tax bills as a whole — including the township’s, county’s and school district’s, Hill said the township is at the bottom of the pile.
“We only collect 3% of the (total) real estate taxes,” Hill said.
But, he said, taxpayers don’t see it that way when looking at the percentage of the township tax increase.
He pointed out that for a house with the average assessment of $20,000, the real estate tax will be increasing by $30, from $120 this year to $150 in 2023.
On the same property this year, the owner paid a total tax bill of $3,712. By comparison, of that amount $553 went to Butler County and the lion’s share, 82% — or $3,040 — went to the Freeport Area School District.
While the general fund budget total will climb from $2.8 million this year to $3.2 million next, Hill and supervisors Chairman Ron Zampogna said there is nothing added to it in the way of discretionary spending.
“We’re not really adding anything,” Hill said. “This is just to fund what we are doing now.”
Zampogna said the township has to cover mandated expenses such as salary increases for the police and public works departments as called for under their collective bargaining agreements, but there is no complaint there.
“We think we provide exceptional service with our police and public works department with 57 miles of road to take care of,” he said.
In addition, he said officials are trying to allow some leeway for the effects of inflation on purchases such as fuel.
Also, he said the supervisors are looking ahead dealing with the costs of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) pollution control program required for all municipalities by the state and federal governments. Zampogna said that has a projected price tag of $2.7 million.
The purpose of the tax increase, he said, was to head off a potential budget deficit in the coming year.
The budget was approved unanimously with no comments from residents who were present at Wednesday’s meeting.
