Norristown Homeowners May Be In For a Tax Hike

According to , Norristown Municipal Council got its first look at the proposed 2012 budget for the municipality at a special two-and-a-half hour budget workshop last week at .

The total proposed budget of $28,099,013 is actually down $1,321,897 from last year's budget of $29,420,910 but does include a 3.43% increase in the real estate millage rate taking it from 11.95 mills to 12.36 mills (a .41 increase). According to The Herald, that means a homeowner with a house assesed at $95,000 would pay $39 more in taxes this year.

“We held the line on expenses but our revenues are down,” Finance Director Richard Zawisza told The Herald. “The finance committee recommended that we not fill two police positions and not purchase two police vehicles.”

Council decided to include funding to hire two replacement police officers in 2012 because, according to Zawisza, police see a spike in overtime if the force was not fully staffed. There's also money in the budget to hire one firefighter.

According to The Herald, a $714,738 shortfall will be made up real estate tax increase which is expected to raise $349,931. The municipality will reportedly borrow an additional $364,807.

The $100,000 in parking fees expecting to be raised in 2011 went unrealised since the and meters have yet to be installed on West Marshall Street.

Proposed budget cuts this year include $21,000 to reduce property abatement costs, $20,000 from police academy training, $18,000 for July 4 events, $16,000 from not hiring a part-time recycling coordinator, $10,000 from business development, $6,051 from uniform costs and $6,000 for recreation.

“Going six years without a tax increase was not a good idea,” Zawisza told The Herald.

Council plans to adopt the proposed budget on Dec. 29.

You can download the entire proposed 2012 budget in our PDF section and you can read more details about the cuts and expenditures here on The Times Herald's website.