Local borough looking to raise property taxes

SHARPSBURG, Pa — A local municipality is proposing a property tax hike as part of its 2023 proposed budget.

Channel 11 reached out to Sharpsburg officials after hearing from concerned residents.

The proposal includes raising the millage rate about 25%, to 9.75.

It currently stands at 7.5 mill, according to borough leaders, and so the proposal calls for a 2.25 mill increase.

That means a property assessed at $100,000 would pay $225 more in property taxes.

But according to county data, the median assessed value in the borough is $52,400, and so the median increase would be $117.90 per year.

One local resident called the proposal “sad” and something that could hit the elderly particularly hard.

Borough leaders, however, told Channel 11 that they don’t have much of a choice in order to balance the budget.

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Councilperson Carrie Tongarm told Channel 11 that a recent audit revealed Sharpsburg has little to no reserve funds, which had been used to balance past years’ budgets. The borough doesn’t bring in enough revenue to cover basic expenses, she said.

“We have explored everything,” Tongarm said. “We operate on a very lean budget... so there wasn’t a lot of room to trim. We looked at cutting things.”

Tongarm said the proposal does include a cut to street paving for the year, expected to save about $70,000.

“Frankly, there’s not much to cut, and the only other options are loans or other sources of revenue, and in this climate, a loan isn’t a feasible or sustainable option and definitely would not be in anyone’s best interest.”

She also noted that the borough applies for a number of grants to assist in paying for improvements to infrastructure and other items.

Council members are expected to vote on the budget during a public meeting this Thursday. Tongarm encouraged residents to reach out with questions or comments.

She said leaders previously held multiple budget meetings that were advertised and open to the public.

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