East Deer's preliminary 2024 budget includes tax cut

For the third time in eight years, East Deer commissioners have cut real estate taxes for residents and businesses.

That news emerged Thursday as the commissioners approved a preliminary budget for 2024.

“There will be a real estate tax cut in this budget of 0.25 mills,” Commissioners Chairman Tony Taliani said. “It’s the third tax cut since 2015.”

The reduction equates to a 5% decrease in the township’s current 4.9-mill tax increase, making the new rate 4.65 mills.

According to Taliani, the commissioners previously slashed taxes in 2015 and 2016. They were similar in scope to this reduction, as Taliani acknowledged the decreases are not big.

The median value of a house in East Deer is $49,700 and, under the current tax rate, carries a township tax burden of $244. With the forthcoming reduction, the tax burden on a property with that value will drop by $12.20.

In addition, Taliani said, “I don’t believe there has been a tax increase since 2015.”

He credited several factors for the tax cut, including savings on utilities because of improvements over the years, including a new heating system for the municipal building and the installation of LED lighting in the building as well as on public property such as parks and traffic lights.

“Fifteen years ago, we had a steam boiler in here, and just the gas bill was $28,000 a year,” he said. “This year, the total utilities cost for this building is around $12,000.”

There also have been savings from the township opting to join the Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department and additional tax revenue from the establishment of the Pittsburgh Brewing Co. on the former Pittsburgh Glass Works property.

“Plus, we earned a lot of interest,” Taliani said.

He said interest income from township investments as of September had reached $25,000 and that could rise to as much as $30,000 by the end of the year.

The proposed budget totals $927,763 in expenditures with $1,107,000 in revenue, leaving a fund balance of $179,872. The township water fund budget shows $978,550 in expenditures and $1,123,645 in revenues, leaving a projected fund balance of $244,892.