UCF talks budget and taxes

Posted by Rich Schwartzman on May 7, 2024

It’s that time of year again when school boards talk budget and property owners wonder about taxes. Taxes went up last year and they’re proposed to go up again this year.

The school district held a budget hearing on May 6 and the proposed budget calls for property taxes in the Chester County townships of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District to be 32.74 mils, and 18.64 mils in Chadds Ford, the only Delaware County township in the district. Last year’s millage rates were 31.95 mils Chester County and 16.72 mils in Chadds Ford. (A mil is a tax of $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.)

Those proposed increases reflect a percentage hike of 2.7 percent for Chester County property owners and an 11.48 percent increase for property owners in Chadds Ford.

The different rates between the two counties are based on how the counties assess property value.

“This budget builds the foundation for a full-day kindergarten program,” said Superintendent of Schools John Sanville. “It invests in our infrastructure through funding of the Long-Range Facilities Plan, keeps us in a strong financial position by keeping our fund balance at the minimum required by policy. While I think this budget is a prudent one, it is adversely impacted by Pennsylvania’s multi-county tax system resulting in a historic swing in tax obligation for Chadds Ford Township."

The proposed plan anticipates revenues and expenditures to be in the $105.8 million range. Specifically, $105,825,790 in revenues and $105,868,802 in expenditures. Salaries and benefits total 73 percent of the expenses.

The numbers can still change between now and the vote on the final budget in June.

The full proposed budget breakdown can be found here.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.