Chester presents 2025 budget with $50 rubbish fee increase amid pension and legal-cost pressures

City of Chester officials presented an overview of the proposed 2025 budget at a public hearing Dec. 9, 2024, emphasizing a balanced general fund before accounting for unpaid prior-year pension costs and several budgetary pressures including a decline in certain Commonwealth cash-flow support and elevated projected legal expenses.

The city’s chief financial officer, Richard Troutman, told council and members of the public that “there’s no real estate or library tax increases proposed in this budget,” and that, before unpaid prior-year pension costs, general‑fund revenues and expenses are equal. Troutman outlined a mix of grant-funded investments (including ARPA, CETA and LSA) and operating adjustments proposed for 2025.

Why this matters: The budget frames how Chester will cover day-to-day services and several one-time or grant-funded projects while responding to a year‑to‑year drop in available cash and rising litigation costs. Council and the public focused on who will bear service costs, how delinquent accounts will be enforced and the size of contingency spending for pensions and legal fees.

Major budget points

- Rubbish fee: The budget proposes increasing the annual residential solid‑waste (rubbish) fee by $50, from $300 to $350. City staff said the increase is intended to bring fees…