Doylestown Borough taxpayers should prepare to dig a little deeper into their pockets next year, as the borough’s nearly $15 million preliminary budget calls for a tax increase and a hike in water bills.
The approximately $90 rate increase is largely due to the addition of two Central Bucks Regional Police Department officers, borough officials said. Doylestown’s contribution to the cost of the full-time officers is $272,000.
An internal study in 2020 and an independent study by SafeCity Solutions last year determined the need to grow the department from 26 officers to 28, according to the borough. Besides Doylestown, the CBRPD covers Chalfont and New Britain boroughs. Those municipalities are also expected to see tax hikes.
The three-mill increase will bring the average Doylestown Borough taxpayers’ 2024 real estate tax bill to $644, about 12% of the overall bill. Some 74% of the bill is from the Central Bucks School District.
Water rates will jump about $6 quarterly, or $25 per year, remaining among the lowest in the region, officials noted. Taxpayers are also assessed a $5 “capital fee” on their water bill to help defray the cost of addressing the PFAS water pollution crisis. Doylestown anticipates spending at least $10 million in the coming years to treat the contaminated water.
All other borough taxes will remain the same in 2024.
The borough raised its road tax by 0.5 mills last year. It raised general fund taxes in 2019 and 2013.
The vote on the final budget will be in December.
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