Buffalo Township approves tax hike to rebuild reserves

Buffalo Township residents will see a bump in their property taxes next year after supervisors opted to raise the township’s millage rate in their recently passed budget.

It raises real estate taxes about 22% from 13.5 mills to 16.5 mills. That means the owner of a property at the median assessed value of $22,290 would pay about $368 to the township, up $67 from the current rate.

That increase comes as the township tries to rebuild its reserve funds and purchase items like police cruisers and a public works vehicle, according to Manager Rich Hill.

In addition, about a half mill of the hike — or somewhere around $40,000 — will be entirely devoted to funding EMS services, Hill said.

Still, the vast majority of their property taxes in Buffalo Township go toward Freeport Area School District, whose school board also raised taxes this year.

The owner of a property at the median assessed value will pay $4,143 in real estate taxes to the district next year. That’s in addition to about $616 in taxes to Butler County.

Projected expenses in the borough budget’s general fund sit at $5.39 million, a 43% increase over this year. Projected income increases 38% to $5.41 million next year.

Government expenses in the budget increase by more than 100%, mainly driven by $600,000 in capital expenditures.

Public safety costs are also headed upward. Much of the 31% increase to $1.86 million is driven by increased wages for police and police overtime costs.

Public works costs would reach $860,000, up about 60% over this year, as the township prepares to buy a new vehicle for the department.

Buffalo will have to borrow money for large-scale purchases next year, but Hill said he’s hoping the tax increase will help build reserves enough to pay for similar purchases out-of-pocket in the future.

Supervisors raised property taxes last year by about 42% from 9.5 mills to its current 13.5.

The manager said he’s hoping ongoing development in the township will stave off future tax hikes, but it remains unclear what the municipality’s finances will look like next year.