Warminster Budget Plan Keeps Water System, Raises Taxes

WARMINSTER, PA — Warminster Township's new board of supervisors has re-opened budget talks for the coming year, with a plan that would raise property taxes while putting off the sale of its water and sewer systems.

The proposed $18.9 million budget comes as Warminster officials are looking at ways to avoid bankruptcy. The former council, which was controlled by Republicans, had been planning to sell the township's water and sewer systems to private companies as a way of making up for a budget shortfall.

But at the first meeting of the new board, which now has a Democratic majority, supervisors voted 4-1 this week to re-open budget considerations and postpone the sale of the utilities for at least a year.

A proposed budget put forward after the vote would raise property taxes going to the general fund in Warminster by 7.91 mills — from 11.09 to 19. A mill equals $1 of taxes per $1,000 of a homes assessed value.

The sale of the township's water and sewer systems had been budgeted to raise about $90 million.

Supervisors are expected to consider the new budget plan at their next meeting on Jan. 23.