It appears property taxes in Cressona will be going up for 2025.
Borough council members on Monday approved a $933,042 preliminary budget that includes a 1.5-mill tax increase. The new millage rate, if and when the proposed budget is approved later this month, will be 9.46 mills.
According to Council Chairwoman Linda Walinksy, 1 mill is equivalent to about $45,000 in revenue. In a budget that didn’t include the millage increase, Cressona expected to bring in $578,735 in tax revenue in 2025. The average tax bill will go up between $30-90, depending on the assessed value of a property. Walinsky said it’s been at least 10 years since the borough raised its tax rate.
There was a debate about how much to raise taxes, either 1.5 mills or a flat 1 mill. Councilman Bill Barr was the only vote against the 1.5-mill increase. He favored a 1-mill increase instead.
Going without a tax increase likely would have allowed council members to pass a balanced budget but would have left almost no room for any unexpected spending over the next year. And before the end of Monday’s council meeting, they learned where about half of that revenue generated by the tax increase would be going … the borough’s swimming pool.
Cressona is looking at spending about $20,000 for a new well pump for the pool. And there are more expenses anticipated for the pool in the coming year.
Walinsky said, “We think we can manage the budget with 1 mill for 2025,” but later favored another half-mill increase.
“Everything is going up except for PennDOT’s Liquid Fuels money,” she said. “I don’t know if 1 is enough. Whether it’s 1 or 1.5 (mills), it’s not going to be too much.”
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