CHAMBERSBURG, Pa.– Borough Manager Jeffrey Stonehill presented the proposed 2027 budget to Chambersburg Borough Council on Monday evening, outlining just one tax increase for residents.
Taxes for police, fire and EMS will remain unchanged. The only proposed increase was for the public works complex bond tax, bringing the average net tax increase per home to $9.91 for the year.
Borough council originally approved a one-millage tax increase in January to help fund construction of the new public works complex on Wayne Avenue, and no additional tax increase was needed.
In total, real estate owners will pay an estimated $634.26 in annual borough taxes if the proposed budget passes.
The real estate tax structure is broken down into five categories: police, fire and EMS, recreation bond, police station bond and the public works complex bond. While four rates will remain the same, taxpayers could see a decrease in those four costs.
The average police tax cost this year was $474.86, but it will fall to $469.19 next year. The average fire and EMS tax is expected to decrease by 63 cents, the recreation bond by 53 cents and the police station bond by 42 cents.
Stonehill explained that the average assessed value, which the borough uses to measure tax rates, dropped because of the Franklin County assessment system, resulting in the lower tax costs next year.
“What that means is that if you are the average taxpayer, your taxes may have stayed the same- your rate — but you’re actually going to pay a little bit less this year.”
As for utilities, electric and natural gas, rates will not change next year. Water and wastewater will each increase by $2.10 per month; sanitation will increase by $5 per month; and the ambulance fee, applied to the water bill, will increase by $1.25 per month.
The Chambersburg Area Municipal Authority will set storm sewage rates, with a $3 monthly increase per equivalent residential unit recommended for approval in December.
Stonehill pointed out that customers still save about $2,000 a year on electric and natural gas, and revenue from these utilities helps keep customer rates below those of outside providers, allowing them to pay for taxes.
“If you give them low enough utility rates, you can help property owners pay the taxes, which is exactly what we’ve done for generations here in Chambersburg,” Stonehill said.
The police tax is projected to generate about $6.1 million toward the department’s $7.85 million in operating costs, leaving a shortfall of more than $1.75 million. The general fund will cover the gap.
“…other revenue in the general fund is used to balance the needs of the police department, thereby taking resources from things like parks, recreation, street paving, economic development,” Stonehill said. “We peel away some of the money from those things to make sure the police department has enough money…”
The fire and EMS department will face the same issue in 2027, being nearly $2 million short of covering operational costs. Again, the general fund will cover the remaining costs to balance the department’s needs.
“Unfortunately, that’s the only way we can do it, because we’re not going to raise taxes — we don’t want to raise taxes — and those departments keep growing in complexity and expense…,” Stonehill said.
To help limit next year’s tax increases, the budget also eliminated the e-waste drop-off event, reduced Aquatic Center staff incentives to save $61,262 and included no additional police hires.
The budget is ready for approval and able to be legally adopted by the end of the year for 2027, according to Stonehill.
Residents are encouraged to attend next Monday’s meeting at 7 p.m. to provide public comment on the proposed budget, which the council intends to approve on Dec. 14. The meeting will be held in the Borough Hall Council Chambers at 100 S. Second St. in Chambersburg.
