North Coventry 2026 budget raises taxes 4%

NORTH COVENTRY — Property taxes in the township will go up by 4 percent in 2026, according to Township Manager Erica Batdorf.

The $8.4 million budget was adopted by township supervisors at a morning meeting on Friday.

“Raising the real estate tax millage rate from 3.44 to 3.58 mills will address a projected deficit of $125,961,” Batdorf wrote in an email response to a query from MediaNews Group.

On a property assessed at $200,000, the township annual tax bill would increase by $28, according to the Nov 24 budget presentation posted on the township website.

“The deficit will be addressed through a balanced approach, using general fund reserves for approximately 50 percent of the shortfall, with the remainder offset by the tax increase. After careful evaluation, the board determined that this modest increase is necessary to generate additional revenue to meet rising contractual and operational costs while maintaining essential services,” Batdorf wrote.

“In addition, the proposed budget directs funding towards our capital reserve fund for the construction of a new township building at Hanover Meadows, located at 150 Lenape Crossing, to house police and administrative operations. The existing facility has reached the end of its useful life, and planning for the new building is already underway, with the project currently in the design and engineering phase,” she wrote.

The township’s existing 7,762 square-foot building is situated on a 1.1-acre property located at the corner of South Hanover and Urner streets and comprises the administration and police departments with 19 employees. The building was constructed in 1945 with several renovations and additions over the years.

The building and site present multiple challenges, including limited space and outdated facility features that have met their useful life and negatively impact the existing and future service delivery of the township, according to the November budget presentation.

According to the presentation, budget drivers included inflation that was set at 2.9 percent in November, as compared to 2.6 percent the year prior.

The presentation indicated other budget drivers were “tariffs on imported materials and cost increase for construction and operating inputs.”

Last year, the board of supervisors adopted a $7.1 million budget that raised taxes by 5 percent.