Dunmore council adopts 2026 budget, sets tax rate at 3.2 mills; Tax Collector flags distribution of increases

Dunmore Borough Council unanimously adopted the borough’s final 2026 budget and a tax ordinance setting the overall rate at 3.2 mills at its Dec. 8 meeting.

The ordinance, approved as Resolution No. 14 of 2025, breaks the levy into components: General Obligation 1.8 mills; Debt Service 1.1 mills; Pension Services 0.03 mill; Public Street Lighting 0.06 mill; Fire Equipment Training 0.12 mill; Firefighter Services 0.06 mill; and Rescue Services 0.03 mill, totaling 3.2 mills. On the same night the council authorized a tax anticipation note (TAN) of up to $1 million to be executed at the best available market rate to meet short-term cash flow needs.

Why it matters: Tax Collector Mike Ruddy told the council he ran county assessment data for Dunmore’s 4,840 residential properties and compared each household’s 2025 bill (using current 54 mills) against the new assessment values and the 3.2-mill borough rate. "Using those figures, I calculated each residential property bill for 2025 based on the 54 mills ... and then calculated their 2026 bills using their new values and the proposed 3.2 mills," Ruddy said. His analysis showed 37.8% of residents would see a decrease, 22.1% would see an increase of $100 or less, and 40.1% would see increases of $100 or more; 2.2% of properties would see increases greater than $500.

Council action and related votes at a glance: The meeting recorded a series of routine approvals and resolutions tied to the budget and administration. Among the actions the council approved were: minutes from Nov. 10, payment of open bills, adoption of the final 2026 budget, adoption of Resolution No. 14 (2026 tax ordinance), authorization of a TAN up to $1 million, Ordinance No. 5 amending the nonuniform pension plan, Resolution No. 15 renewing Dunmore’s participation in the Scranton Abingtons Planning Association (SAPA), Resolution No. 16 approving Dunmore’s $6,526.22 SAPA contribution, and Resolution No. 17 deputizing Berkheimer, Inc. to collect real estate taxes. (Motions and seconders were announced on the record; individual roll-call tallies were not read aloud beyond the council’s unanimous “Aye” announcement for each vote.)

Administrative notes: The council voted to deputize Berkheimer, Inc., through Tax Collector Mike Ruddy to take over real estate tax collection after the office clerk’s retirement; Berkheimer already handles Dunmore’s income tax and local services tax. Borough Manager Greg Wolff said switching to Berkheimer also changes the billing/printing vendor from GSS to Berkheimer.

What’s next: Ruddy said staff will produce public-facing guidance explaining how residents can use their county assessment letter to estimate borough tax bills under the new millage; appeals of county assessments remain available in future years. The council also authorized the TAN and directed the President, Financial Chair and Solicitor to execute necessary documents.