Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
York County holds six public hearings on FY27 budget, including proposed 2‑point meals‑tax increase
Summary
County staff presented the recommended FY27 budget and held statutory public hearings on the effective tax rate, calendar‑year levy, solid‑waste and sewer fees, and a proposed meals‑tax increase from 4% to 6%; board members and residents debated reassessment impacts and spending priorities ahead of a May 5 vote.
The York County Board of Supervisors held multiple public hearings April 21 on the recommended FY27 budget and several related tax and fee ordinances, with the board scheduling final votes for its May 5 meeting.
Teresa Owens, the county’s director of finance, reviewed the budget process and changes since the administrator’s recommendation, including updated revenue estimates and modest expenditure adjustments. Owens told the board the proposed budget includes no change to the real‑estate or personal‑property tax rates but does include a proposed meals‑tax increase from 4% to 6%. She said the proposed budget reflects cost pressures (notably compensation for public safety and schools) and some capital accelerations.
The board opened a required public hearing on the effective tax rate and took public comment on reassessments and tax relief options; several residents urged relief because reassessments increased taxable values in 2026. Staff and supervisors said reassessment gains did not fully cover the county’s cost pressures this year and therefore the board held the tax rates steady rather than cutting rates.
Speakers at the budget hearing included a public‑safety representative who thanked the board for compensation adjustments for firefighters, paramedics and dispatchers; the schools’ CFO who outlined grant application activity for school construction programs; and several residents who urged better transparency or tax relief options. Another public hearing covered modest increases in solid‑waste fees and sewer rates to cover rising operating costs; the county said the typical residential garbage/recycling customer would see about a dollar a month change and residential sewer customers would move to a new flat rate while commercial customers would see a fixed plus variable structure.
On the meals tax, board members debated tourism considerations and distribution of tax burden. The increase from 4% to 6% was presented as a way to capture more revenue from visitors and diversify county revenue; opponents warned the change could be regressive or reduce dining‑out activity.
No board votes on the budget or tax ordinances were taken April 21; the board plans to act on the FY27 budget and associated ordinances at its May 5 meeting.
