New Hope Borough Hall
New Hope Borough Council passed a budget for 2020 at its Tuesday night meeting that holds the line on local property taxes, and they’re proud about it.
“New Hope Borough will ring in the new year with its fifth budget in a row without a property tax increase,” reads a borough statement posted Wednesday. The local real estate tax rate will remain steady at 13.77 mils.
For New Hope homeowners, the Borough’s real estate tax millage is just under 10 percent of the average property tax bill, according to the borough. Bucks County accounts for 17 percent and the New Hope-Solebury School District, at over 100 mils, is responsible for 72 percent of the total real estate tax burden, they said.
“The Borough finds itself in a relatively healthy financial position today due to careful attention to the fiscal controls, which are one of the primary focus of this Council,” said Borough Council President Connie Gering. “Thanks also to the hard work of Borough staff, we are confidently moving into our fifth year with no real estate tax increases.”
The budget continues support for emergency services, including 24/7 ambulance coverage, approved overwhelmingly by New Hope voters in a 2017 referendum, New Hope officials pointed out, and the Free Library of New Hope and Solebury again gets extra funding, coupled with nearly $20,000 in additional in-kind support from the borough.
Of course there is no need for a property tax increase by New Hope. It is alleged that they absconded with the excessive fees and permits charged to the school district revitalization project – $270,000 for 90 hours of work. That would be $3000 an hour. Nice work if you can get it. It kinda puts Hunter Biden to shame. Not surprisingly, they refuse to provide an accounting for these charges. See the story published in the New Hope Free Press dated Feb 3rd and entitled “Borough Permit Fees For New Hope-Solebury Campus Construction Questioned At Meeting.”
NH Free Press article here: https://tinyurl.com/yx74rx8v