Norwin to keep any tax hike to 3.9% or less

Under a resolution the school board approved this week, the Norwin School District will not raise real estate taxes for the 2021-22 school year by more than 3.9% — the state-determined inflationary index.

As a result of the intention to limit any tax hike to 3.9%, a homeowner in North Huntingdon, Irwin and North Irwin with a property that has a median assessed value of $22,130, would pay no more than an extra $73 a year in school taxes. The school board has until June 30 to adopt a budget for the 2021-2022 school year.

For the current school year, the board raised property taxes by 2.9% to balance a $76.93 million budget. That increase raised property taxes in North Huntingdon, Irwin and North Irwin by 2.4 mills to 84.8 mills. For the 18 properties in White Oak and South Versailles in Allegheny County that are served by the district, taxes increased 0.36 mill to 12.72 mills.

All school districts in the state are required to pass resolutions in January to announce whether it will limit any tax hike to the maximum level under Act 1 or display a proposed a preliminary budget for the following school year,

Last year was the first time in more than six years that Norwin approved a budget that did not raise taxes to the maximum allowed under the state formula. The school board could have raised taxes by 3.4%.

The millage Norwin levies for its Westmoreland County municipalities includes 1.2 mills collected for the Norwin Public Library, as required by a voter referendum.

(Editor’s note: An earlier version of the story had an incorrect dollar amount on the impact of a 3.9% tax hike on a home with the median assessed value of $22,130.)