Doylestown Borough Council by an 8-1 vote Dec. 17 approved a 6.4 million final 2019 general fund budget that calls for raising the borough property tax by 2 mills.
Councilman Joseph Flood cast the lone dissenting vote.
“I’m not in favor of the tax increase,” he said. Since 2007, borough property taxes have now almost doubled, tens of thousands of dollars in debt have been added (previously there was none) and the $10 million reserve fund has been more than cut in half.”
It’s the first such increase since 2013. In addition, 0.5 mills will be transferred from the Road Tax Fund to the General Fund.
The 2013 General Fund increase was followed by reductions totaling 1.31 mills in 2014 and 2016, meaning that the 2019 rate will be 0.69 mills higher than in 2013.
The increase was necessary, officials said, to address a growing General Fund operating budget deficit.
At the same time, the budget holds the line on fire, ambulance, and debt service taxes while preserving all services.
The average homeowner will pay $434.01 in total borough real estate taxes in 2019, and increase of $57.20 from 2018.
The Doylestown Borough Real Estate Tax continues to be the smallest portion of a borough homeowner’s real estate tax bill, accounting for only 9.27 percent of the total taxes paid.
Although they will increase in 2019 in order to address an operating budget deficit, borough water rates will be the lowest in the region. The average residential water customer’s quarterly bill will increase by $5.07 to $51.08.
