Springdale Council passes budget without tax bump; sewer bills see slight increase

Springdale residents can expect much of the same in 2026.

Borough council passed its budget Tuesday with a slight increase to sewer rates but no tax increase.

Sewer rates will go up 7%, or $1 per 1,000 gallons of usage, from $13.75 to $14.75.

At the borough’s rate of 9.75 mills, the owner of a property with the borough’s median assessed value of $82,000 will continue to pay about $801 annually in property taxes.

Springdale’s general fund income is set to increase by about 5% over last year to $3.38 million, while expenses will exceed that number by about $1,000. Springdale Borough Manager Terry Carcella said the borough will make up that deficit using its reserve funds.

Most of the budget is earmarked for the police department, borough payroll and public works expenses.

Police expenses will total $1.1 million, a full one-third of the budget. Officer payroll will account for $738,000 of that amount.

Combined, refuse hauling and public works expenses total about $919,000. That’s in addition to $475,000 for borough pension contributions and $248,000 for administrative payroll.

Much of the borough’s income, $1.3 million, will come from real estate taxes. Another $579,000 will come from other local taxes in addition to $466,000 from refuse collection fees.

Carcella said the budget was “tight,” but the borough was fortunate to pass it without a hike in taxes.