Springfield Township SD finance committee advances proposed 2025-26 budget with 4% tax increase, warns of federal and state funding uncertainty

Springfield Township SD finance committee on April 11 presented a proposed final 2025-26 operating budget that would raise local property taxes by 4% and use about $975,000 of fund balance to close a roughly $975,000 gap between projected revenues and expenditures.

The proposed final budget, which the finance committee recommended be approved at the board’s April 22 meeting, anticipates about $75.8 million in expenditures and roughly $75.0 million in revenues. Administrators said they are working to limit reliance on fund balance while preserving staffing and programming.

The proposed tax increase is expected to generate about $2.0 million in new revenue. Kara Green (role/title: not specified), who led the finance presentation, said the median homeowner would see a monthly increase of about $19.70 and an annual increase of about $239 before any homestead/farmstead credits. “We built this budget with a 4% tax increase,” Green said. She added that the final certified homestead/farmstead credit from the state (gambling funds) is not available until May 1 and will be incorporated before final adoption.

Why it matters: administrators said personnel and debt-service costs drive most spending and that uncertainty at the federal and state levels could change the…