Cressona property owners will not see a tax rate increase for 2026.
Borough Council unanimously agreed Monday to set the millage rate (adjusted for the countywide reassessment) at 1.494 mills.
For every $1,000 in assessed value, a property owner must pay $1.494. That means a property assessed at $100,000 would pay $149.40 in municipal property tax.
Cressona’s Secretary/Treasurer Regina Sonon explained to council members that 1.494 mills is the break-even millage rate. At that millage, the Borough would collect the same amount in property tax revenue as it did in 2025, which is required in the year of a property tax reassessment.
In 2025, Cressona’s millage rate was 9.46.
Council members did have the option to raise the break-even millage, once it was set, by 10%. However, Sonon recommended that council hold the line on property taxes because many of the people who come to the Borough office are expressing concerns over their County and school property taxes post-reassessment.
Because of the reassessment, just because the Borough is collecting the same amount in property tax revenue as it did in 2025, not all property owners will pay what they did this year based on the results of their reassessment. Some will pay more, some will pay less, and others will pay about the same.
If everyone were to pay their bill for 2026 in 2026, Cressona can expect to receive $277,812 property tax next year. Sonon said she created the budget for 2026 expecting to collect $250,000.
As we approach the new year and final budgets in municipalities are approved, millage rates will be adjusted and equalized so that each collects the same property tax revenue as it did last year.
Schuylkill County’s Tax Assessment office recently distributed a worksheet for municipalities to determine their break-even millage rate for 2026 to stay in line with the law with regard to the reassessment.
Just as Cressona pondered – but ultimately opted against it – on Monday, once that break-even millage rate is set, municipalities do have the option to increase it by 10%.
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