EMMAUS, Pa. — Borough property owners would feel a significant pinch in their wallets if a proposed tax increase is approved.
Emmaus Borough Council on Monday took the first step toward increasing the tax rate 26% during an initial hearing on the 2025 tax levy ordinance.
For example, a property currently assessed for tax purposed at $100,000 would incur an annual tax increase of $213, to $1,044.55.
Borough property taxes are currently at 8.3155 mills — an increase of 0.134 mills, or 1.6% from the 2023 rate of 8.1815 mills.
A mill equals $1 of tax for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value. The millage rate includes a general fund tax of 6.4404, fire fund tax of 1.3961, special roads fund tax of 0.32 and a streetlight fund tax of 0.159.
The proposal will be discussed at council's next meeting on Dec. 16.
'No one wants a tax increase'
Councilman Chris Hoenscheid, who announced his resignation from council effective in January to spend more time with his family, voted against the proposed tax increase.
“We spent a lot of hours together [working on the tax issue] over the last month or so,” he told fellow council members during the hearing.
"There are few things in this budget that we’re losing out on, that are extremely difficult for me.”Emmaus Councilman Chris Hoenscheid
“And while I understand that no one wants a tax increase, and no one certainly wants a tax increase as large as this one is going to be … there are a lot of costs that we have no control over.
"I don't want to see other things that we do have control over suffer because of that.
“I think people living in Emmaus know that everything comes with a cost; you get what you pay for. There are few things in this budget that we’re losing out on, that are extremely difficult for me.”
