They’re still crunching the numbers but there is a possibility Delaware County taxpayers could see a decrease in their taxes next year, writes Kathleen E. Carey for delconewsnetwork.com.

That is not a typo.

Revenue and expenditure numbers are still coming in, but Delaware County Council hinted the possibility of lower taxes exists.

“Once I get my hands around this and we all get our hands around this, we may find that we may actually be able to give a tax decrease and still make all the investments that are necessary,” County Council Chairman Brian Zidek said.

Helping the county is $110 million from its American Rescue Plan allocation. The county has until 2024 to spend it.

More will be known by the end of June when firmer expenditure and revenue numbers are in.

Delaware County Executive Director Howard Lazarus gave a budget presentation in late April. He recommended the county increase the hotel tax from 3 percent to 5 percent. That is in keeping with the surrounding counties.

But Council Vice-Chairman Dr. Monica Taylor said the hotel industry had been hit hard by the pandemic. A tax increase might be difficult for them, she said.

Councilwoman Elaine Schaefer said it was important to factor in a pandemic recovery into 2022 funding priorities.

“Over the next two to three years, we’re going to have to make decisions and do things that we totally would not normally do because we are recovering from a pandemic and the economic impact of that,” she said.

Here’s a video presentation on the 2022 Delaware County budget

Read more at Daily Times about a possible county tax decrease.

A Tax Decrease? Time to Celebrate. Check Out Delaware County’s Brewpubs and Wineries

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