Buffalo Township proposes 3-mill tax increase
Buffalo Township’s municipal tax rate will have nearly tripled in the span of four years if the proposed 2026 township budget is approved.
The spending plan calls for an increase in the municipal tax rate from 13.5 mills to 16.5 mills. The tax rate was 6 mills in 2022.
This marks at least the fourth consecutive year the township has proposed or gone through with raising its municipal tax rate.
Even with the proposed tax increase, Buffalo Township projects that its revenue for 2026 will exceed its expenses only by $21,860, with projected revenue of $5,414,710 barely outpacing projected expenses of $5,392,850.
Among the line items expected to increase in 2026 are public works expenses, which are projected to balloon from $539,975 in 2025 to $861,890 next year. Also increasing are public safety expenses, which are expected to jump from $1,193,059.49 to $1,859,120 due to a series of anticipated major purchases for the police department.
The township is part of the Freeport Area School District, which imposes the highest tax rate of any school district in Butler County at 185.91 mills. This only applies to residents of Butler County, as the school district also extends into Armstrong County.
Earlier this year, the school district increased its tax rate for Butler County residents by 4.93% to support an ongoing high school renovation project.
No members of the township board of supervisors responded to requests for comment from the Butler Eagle on Tuesday, Dec. 9, and township manager Rich Hill was out of the office.
Township budgets must be approved by Dec. 31, according to state law.
