Springdale tax rate to remain flat; resident utility costs to increase in proposed budget

Springdale residents may soon catch a whiff of garbage and sewer tax hikes, but property taxes are set to remain unchanged in the borough’s proposed budget.

Garbage collection fees would increase $5 per quarter, meaning residents would pay $20 more next year.

Sewer rates, meanwhile, would go up $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 would 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 would exceed that number by about $1,000. Springdale Borough Manager Terry Carcella said the borough would 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 would total $1.1 million, a full one-third of the budget. Officer payroll would account for $738,000 of that amount.

Combined, refuse hauling and public works expenses would 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, would come from real estate taxes. Another $579,000 would come from other local taxes in addition to $466,000 from refuse collection fees.

Council will vote on the budget Dec. 16, the same day it’s expected to approve or reject a conditional use application from developers seeking to build a massive data center in the borough.