Borough debates sharp cuts as assembly considers lower mill‑rate cap

Assembly members spent much of the evening debating an ordinance (26‑095) that would lower the borough's area‑wide property tax cap. Proponents said a lower cap protects residents from sudden property‑tax increases as assessed values rise; opponents and staff warned of a resulting budget gap requiring significant cuts.

"Seven mills in my opinion is reasonable," said Assembly person Bowles when urging adoption of a lower cap, citing rising assessments. Finance staff presented a projection showing assessed values might rise about 4% and new construction roughly 1.59%, and cautioned that a 7‑mill cap could create a shortfall in the $20 million range for fiscal year 28. Staff outlined possible tradeoffs, including reduced contributions to education, elimination of certain capital projects and cuts to services such as water rescue and animal shelter funding.

After amendment votes (7.0, 7.5 and 9.0 mills), and an extended back‑and‑forth about timing and public outreach, the assembly recorded several roll‑call results and ultimately acted on the motion on the floor. Members said they wanted to balance taxpayer protection with predictable service delivery, and several asked staff for further modeling as budget season approaches.