Tax Rates Going Up In Newtown Township: Find Out Why

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Newtown Township taxpayers will see their municipal tax bills increase by an average $160 next year to fund the escalating cost of the emergency services.

During its final meeting of the year Wednesday night, the board of supervisors voted 3 to 2 to adopt a final $16.86 million budget for 2026 to pay for township services, including police, fire, administration and public works.

Supervisor John Mack, attending his final meeting as a supervisor, joined member Phil Calabro in voting against the spending plan. He had asked the board to consider cutting some expenditures, including a proposed dump truck and one of four police cars from the budget, and to reconsider the hiring of new personnel, to pay for additional road paving.

“I’ve been a proponent of trying to get more miles of roads paved. Right now, in the budget, we only have 1.9 miles where we should be doing at least 3 1/2 miles a year just to keep up,” he said. “We’re basically not improving the roads and we’re spending money on items that I’m not sure why we need them right now.”

The rest of the board made no moves to change the final budget, noting that money in the budget could be moved around to pave additional road if the board decides to move in that direction during the upcoming year.

The final budget includes a three mill increase for fire services to fund the township’s continued transition from a volunteer to a paid fire department and a one mill increase for the emergency medical services next year.

“A tax increase of 3 mills of real estate tax is proposed in next year’s budget,” said township manager Micah Lewis as the township continues to add paid, full-time staff.

The township recently hired two additional firefighters bringing, the total number of paid firefighters to 14.

Under the fire protection fund, the budget contemplates a contribution to the Newtown Fire Association of $285,000 and a contribution to the fire capital fund of $660,000 for future capital purchases, including a new fire truck.

A tax increase of one mill is also included in the budget to fund the Newtown Emergency Medical Services. That will bring the total millage for the rescue squad to two mills.

Newtown EMS had asked all of its municipalities to increase their financial contribution next year to pay for a number of capital purchases and projects not eligible for reimbursement, including replacement heart monitors, installation of a new HVAC system at its Eagle Road headquarters and two new ambulances.

The four mill increase for the emergency services will equate to a $157 a year increase in the average municipal tax bill, or $13 a month on a home assessed at $39,000, the average property assessment in the township.

In other allocations, the budget sets money aside for the hiring a full-time IT director and a part-time Human Resources Director. The budget also restores a $350,000 line item for road work.

The budget also anticipates a one time transfer of $450,000 from the general fund to the recreation fund to offset revenue losses. Historically, the recreation fund has been paid for through developer contributions, which are no longer being realized by the township.

Under Highway Aid and Road Improvement, the budget allocates funds for the purchase of a $205,000 dump truck, the cost of structural repairs to the South Drive Bridge and $900,000 to repave 1.85 miles of roads.

During public comment, township businessman Todd McGonigal said looking at the budget through the eyes of a business owner, “I would see myself going out of business in two to three years. If we have a similar year, we will completely deplete our general fund.”

He cautioned the board not to go down the same road as neighboring Middletown, which he said is now looking at a 56 percent tax increase.

“I would encourage you to try to reduce your expenditures and try to help the taxpayersNewtown," he said.

Newtown Walk resident Charlie Feuer said in reviewing the budget “it scared me to death looking at the general fund that’s going to decrease from $5 million to $2 million. That’s a precipitously low level,” he said. “This is a critical year. Other townships are headed down this rabbit hole and it looks like our budget is heading us in the same direction. The board needs to go back and look at eliminating costs that have put us in this precipitous position.”