Taxes will be going up in Port Carbon next year.
On Tuesday, Borough Council members approved a $1.2 million preliminary budget that calls for a 10% increase in the property tax rate for 2026.
Councilman Ron Zimmerman, who presented the budget at council’s regular monthly meeting, said that without the permitted 10% increase in the millage, the Borough would be “in the hole” for next year.
With that increase, Port Carbon will have an approximate $20,000 reserve in 2026.
The 10% increase in property tax rates for next year is the maximum allowed for a municipal government in the first year after a reassessment. First, Port Carbon council had to set its equalized, revenue-neutral millage rate of 3.017.
Council members, as they did, were then allowed to raise that by 10% in 2026. So, the new millage is 3.318. That means for every $1,000 in assessed value, a property owner in Port Carbon must pay $3.318 in property tax. A property assessed at $100,000 would pay $331.80 in tax to the Borough.
Zimmerman said there are no remarkable increases in spending year over year from 2025. Simply put, he said, costs have increased.
Port Carbon 2026 Budget Breakdown
Of the $1.23 million in revenue Port Carbon expects to collect next year, here is where much of that comes from:
- Real estate taxes: $446,407
- Sanitation fees: $288,740
- Earned Income Tax: $261,705
- Liquid Fuels (from state): $80,000
With the sanitation fees, the Borough pays out nearly as much as it brings in at $277,200. It’s Port Carbon’s single-largest expense.
The Borough has budgeted approximately $226,000 in police wages and pension payments next year, including $72,561 for full-time officers and $63,920 in pension contributions.
Other major expenses for Port Carbon in 2026 include:
- Public works: $179,000
- Engineering: $85,000
- Insurance and Workers Compensation: $133,100
A vote to adopt the final budget will likely happen at a special meeting scheduled for Dec. 30.
📝 Port Carbon Notes …
In other news of note in Port Carbon:
Councilman Jim McBreen announced his resignation from that position, effective Dec. 31. He was elected Port Carbon Mayor in November. An appointed replacement for him will be named in the near future.
Mayor Bucky Herndon, who won a Council seat in the November election, thanked Council members for their support during his time in that role.
“It’s been a great eight years,” he said.
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