Abington proposes 0.25 mill tax increase, $125 refuse fee hike in lean FY2026 draft budget

Abington Township Manager Chris Christman presented the proposed fiscal year 2026 preliminary budget and told the Board of Commissioners the plan is balanced and preserves current services while addressing several revenue pressures. "So the purpose of this evening's meeting is for the board to receive an introduction to and a presentation about the proposed fiscal year 2026 preliminary annual budget," President Hecker said as the session opened.

Christman said the draft relies on a combination of a 0.25 mill tax increase, one-time fund-balance uses and contract-related cost shifts. "We are presenting the 2026 proposed budget for Abington Township this evening," Christman said. Under the proposal the township's property-tax levy would rise by one quarter mill, bringing the township portion to 6.172 mills; Christman said that increase equates to about $38 on a $150,000 assessed home. The draft also incorporates a $125 increase to the township refuse fee that was awarded earlier this year via a transfer-station contract, which would raise the typical curbside rate to about $400.

Why it matters: Christman outlined four primary drivers of the 2026 pressure: (1) long-term declines in the value of a mill since a 2018 reassessment high-water mark, (2) a potential Willow Grove Mall reassessment that he estimated could reduce revenue by roughly $985,000 to $1,300,000, (3) a roughly $1.9 million increase in the township's Minimum Municipal Obligation (MMO) for the pension…