West Goshen board moves to advertise 2025 budgets, approves $15 quarterly trash fee increase

The West Goshen Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Nov. 19 to advertise the township's proposed 2025 budgets for public notice and a scheduled adoption vote on Dec. 17, after discussing reserves, capital needs and several fee proposals.

The board, responding to staff presentations, kept the real-estate millage flat for a 15th consecutive year and signaled a policy preference to earmark one-time transfer-tax revenue from recent Greystone/Woodlands development for infrastructure needs rather than permanent tax relief. Finance staff noted that the Woodlands buildout produced roughly $3.5 million in transfer-tax receipts during the buildout and that many of those receipts are one-off, not recurring.

Why it matters: Supervisors said the township faces a backlog of capital and stormwater projects, including work to repair aging corrugated metal storm pipes and other MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) compliance projects. Several board members argued that applying windfall revenue to those needs will avoid future tax increases tied to emergency repairs.

Key decisions and rationale - No millage increase: Staff told the board the draft budgets assume no real-estate tax (millage) hike in 2025. Board members repeated a preference to use nonrecurring revenues for infrastructure rather than permanent tax cuts. - Waste & Recycling fee increase approved: Facing higher contracted collection costs and volatile county tipping fees, staff recommended and the board approved a $15 per quarter increase (a $60 per year increase) for residential waste and recycling billing starting in 2025. The board's vote was unanimous. Staff said a smaller increase would leave the waste fund with too little buffer for quarterly surges in disposal costs. - Increased transfers to capital and sewer reserves: Staff proposed larger transfers from operating funds to the capital reserve and to a sewer reserve used by the Sewer Authority to fund a planned $15 million, ten-year capital program. Supervisors directed staff to increase the proposed transfer from general fund to capital reserve to better position the township for anticipated projects and grant matches.

Quotes from the meeting - The chair opened the public session by apologizing for remarks at a prior meeting and promising to "recommit myself to this role and leading with respect and treating everybody that way." (Chair) - On using one-time receipts for infrastructure, a supervisor said: "Imagine you're a homeowner and you get a one-time inheritance — you fix the roof and the windows, you don't go on vacation with it. We have infrastructure needs." (Board member)

Next steps: The budgets will be formally advertised for the required public-notice period and returned to the board for adoption on Dec. 17; staff will update numbers to reflect the board's direction on transfers and the approved waste-fee increase.

Provenance: This article is based on the board's presentation and discussion of the 2025 budgets and related actions (timeline entries SEG 070'SEG 129; SEG 292'SEG 404; SEG 1266'SEG 1550; SEG 1828'SEG 1898; SEG 866'SEG 1231).