Nov 24, 2016 2 min read

North Strabane Township supervisors approved a preliminary 2017 budget Tuesday, reducing the real estate tax rate from 9.98 to 1.03 mills in response to Washington County’s reassessment.

The reassessment requires an adjustment in the tax rate because it will now be based on 100 percent fair market value of real estate. The former rate was based on 25 percent fair market value.

According to township manager Frank Siffrinn, the board opted for an adjusted tax rate that is revenue-neutral. As a result, one-third of property owners will have an unchanged tax liability, one-third will have an increase in taxes and one-third will see a reduction in taxes, based on their reassessments.

The proposed budget shows total expenditures of $13,083,935, a decrease of more than 2 percent from 2016.

Supervisors will take action on the final budget at their 7 p.m. meeting Dec. 20.

South Strabane Township supervisors approved a preliminary 2017 budget Nov. 9, increasing real estate taxes from 7.5 to 9 mills.

In reference to a recent decision by supervisors to reject the master plan for a 158-acre mixed-use development, Supervisor Laynee Zipko, who rejected the preliminary budget with Supervisor Jack Keisling, opposed increasing any millage “when we’re denying development in the township that could generate tax revenue.”

Proposed revenues are $5,581,678, and expenditures are $5,494,575, leaving $87,103 unappropriated.

Action on the budget is scheduled for the 7 p.m. Dec. 20 board of supervisors meeting.

City of Washington officials are working on a balanced budget for 2017, with revenues and expenditures of $13,430,160. The real estate tax is expected to remain at 107.63 mills and the building-only tax at 3.5 mills.

Mayor and council are scheduled to take action on the budget during the 7 p.m. Dec. 8 meeting.