Eight years in a row, no tax hike in Hilltown

For the eighth year in a row, Hilltown is holding the line on municipal property taxes.

On Dec. 10, the board of supervisors approved a 2019 township budget that keeps the local millage rate at 8.75.

“It’s also important to note that the township is debt-free and has been for several years,” said Township Manager Lorraine Leslie.

A mill is equal to $1 of every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. To calculate the municipal tax on a Hilltown property, multiply the assessed value of the property by 8.75 and then divide by 1,000.

For example, a Hilltown property assessed at $45,000 would owe $393.75 in annual municipal real estate taxes. School and county taxes make up a bigger portion of a resident’s property tax bill.

Township budgets provide the financial fuel for the operation of a municipality.

In Hilltown, the total budget for 2019 tallies about $8.37 million. The general fund portion of the budget, which pays for necessities like police, public works, township administration and more, is around $6.63 million. Leslie said the general fund is up about $200,000 from the current year’s general fund.

Under the 2019 budget, Hilltown is contemplating a number of capital improvement projects in the coming year. These include beginning a pedestrian path that will run from Green Street to Route 152, and possibly starting work on part of the Forest Road Park.