Lower Merion’s 2012 Tax Rate, Budget Will Be Decided Next Month

The Lower Merion Board of Commissioners Finance Committee on Wednesday night unanimously recommended that the full board authorize the township secretary to advertise its notice of intention to adopt on Dec. 21 an ordinance which includes a 2012 real estate tax rate of 4.19 mills and an annual budget for the 2012 fiscal year.

If approved, the 2012 tax levy of 4.19 mills on each one dollar of assessed valuation would be unchanged from 2011, and homeowners of the average assessed house would have a tax bill of just more than $1,500, said township Chief Financial Officer Dean Dortone.

The average assessment for a single-family, detached house in Lower Merion is $361,000, bringing the annual real estate tax bill on the home with a 4.19 mill rate to $1,513, Dortone said.

The board will hold two public hearings about the 2012 proposed budget before the board votes on the budget on Dec. 21, Dortone said.

The first public hearing will take place Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. as part of a Board of Commissioners meeting, and the second hearing is scheduled for Dec. 7, Dortone said.

The revenues estimated to be available to the township for fiscal year 2012 are $95,434,521, according to the ordinance on the 2012 tax rate and budget. This estimate includes tax revenue from real estate, business and transfer taxes; program revenues, bond sales, investment income, other revenue, and transfers from cash reserves.

Proposed total appropriations in the 2012 fiscal year budget are $95,434,521 and include about $10 million for general government; $22.7 million for public safety; $3.1 million for building and planning; $1.2 million for community development; nearly $11.9 million for public works; $6.9 million for libraries and recreation; $20.3 million for debt service; $20.2 million for capital outlay; $7.9 million for sanitary sewer, and $6.7 million for solid waste, the ordinance states.

The projected deficit for the 2012 budget is $1.4 million, Dortone said.

In 2011, the projected deficit was $1.3 million but “right now the projected deficit for 2011 is $200,000,” Dortone said.

As part of the 2012 budget, solid waste fees will remain the same as 2011 fees, making it the second consecutive year without a solid waste fee increase, Dortone said.

However, it is possible that the sanitary sewer fee may increase in 2012, Dortone said.