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Allentown council rejects amendment to reinstate 3.96% tax increase while cutting garbage fee

Allentown City Council · December 17, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The Allentown City Council voted 4–3 to reject a sponsor amendment that would have reinstated a 3.96% property tax increase while reducing the solid-waste fee by $50, funded by a $2 million interfund loan repaid over five years; public commenters urged alternatives for seniors and renters.

Allentown City Council on Monday rejected a sponsor amendment that would have reinstated a 3.96% property tax increase while cutting the city solid-waste fee by $50, a package supporters said would save most households money but opponents said relied on uncertain trade-offs.

The amendment—introduced by sponsors listed on the agenda as AFA, Hendricks and Santo—proposed a $50 reduction in the garbage fee and an interfund loan from the general fund of $2,000,000 to cover the shortfall. Supporters and administration staff said the loan would be repaid over five years, with first payments beginning in 2027, and estimated interest at roughly 3% (administration estimated…

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