The new year will start with a tax increase for taxpayers across Bucks County.
On Wednesday, the Bucks County Commissioners voted to raise the county property tax rate by 1 mill to help cover the $452.6 million 2020 spending plan.
The county plans to draw $7.5 million from the general fund balance and the $8 million a 1 mill tax increase is expected bring in to cover a gap between expenditures and revenues. The average taxpayer will put forward about $36 more for the county next year.
At the final Commissioners’ meeting of 2019 at the Bucks County Visitors Center in Bensalem, county officials said they worked to bring the budget gap down by more than $1 million since a spending plan was formally proposed in November. They noted that there are many fixed costs in the spending plan that cannot be cut.
According to the approved budget, the majority of county finance and administration agencies, row offices, courts, corrections department, emergency services departments, general services department, housing and human services agencies and health services will see increases in spending.
The approved 2020 budget shows a slight decrease in the county’s debt payments.
In November, Chief Operating Officer Brian Hessenthaler stated that if every departmental spending request was approved the budget would be close to $39 million more.
Bucks County has about 2,400 employees and the average pay and benefits package is between $80,000 and $90,000, Director of Finance and Administration David Boscola said.
Bucks County continues to hold a AAA bond rating from Moody’s Investors Service and Standard and Poor’s. This rating benefits taxpayers through lower borrowing costs on current and future bond issues.
With a Democratic majority coming into power come January, the Commissioners could reopen the budget and make certain changes before February 15.
