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Falls Township supervisors advertise 2026 budget, proposing 1‑mill increase to boost parks funding
Summary
Falls Township presented a proposed 2026 budget that would raise the millage by 1 mill — adding roughly $30 per average homeowner annually — to shore up parks and recreation funding; the board voted to advertise the proposal ahead of a Dec. 16 adoption vote.
Falls Township supervisors voted Nov. 24 to advertise the proposed 2026 budget, which includes a 1‑mill increase the township said will primarily fund parks and recreation.
Betsy Rukoff, a township staff member who presented the plan, said the total millage rate proposed for 2026 is 9.97 mills and that the 1‑mill change would cost the average taxpayer about $30 or less annually (about $2.50 per month). She told the board the 2026 proposed budget covers seven restricted tax funds and plans $31,147,867 in total expenditures across operating and capital accounts, including $2.28 million for reconstruction on Willow Drive and $2.7 million for broader road improvements.
Rukoff said Falls Township receives the bulk of real‑estate tax dollars for other entities — about 85% goes to the Pensbury School District and 11% to Bucks County — meaning less than 4 cents of each tax dollar remains with the township for local services. The 1‑mill increase is earmarked for parks and recreation, which the presentation said supports 18 parks and year‑round programming; the parks and recreation line in the proposed budget is $113,589.
During public comment, residents asked about the township’s host community fees and reserves; Rukoff said host community receipts are recorded in a separate fund (Fund 31), with transfers into the general fund to cover operating costs, and that staff planned to add $2 million back to reserves in 2025. She also reviewed pension obligations, which the presentation showed rising from roughly $1.3 million in 2012 to more than $3.1 million annually in recent years; the township projects a 2026 net pension cost of $2,654,000.
After additional questions and discussion, the board voted to advertise the proposed budget and open a public inspection and comment period from Nov. 26 through Dec. 16; the board is scheduled to consider final adoption at its Dec. 16 meeting.
The presentation materials and detailed budget numbers will be available for public review during the inspection period, as required by the advertised schedule.
