Falls Township will need to make significant changes in the coming years to fix its finances as the local landfill, its largest revenue stream, closes, writes Jo Ciavaglia for the Bucks County Courier Times.
To compensate for the $18 million the township receives annually from the decades-old landfill, it might have to implement higher property taxes, new fees, layoffs, pay adjustments for township employees, and downsize capital improvement projects.
Township supervisors approved and completed a comprehensive financial report last year outlining strategies to address the financial gap. The township has not yet published them to the public.
The draft report was prepared by PFM Consulting Group, which examined the township’s finances ahead of the coming revenue loss once the Waste Management landfill ceases operations in 2034.
Fees from the landfill accounted for almost 60 percent of the township’s $39 million budget last year. The fees have allowed the township to avoid property tax increases for 31 of the last 32 years.
With the landfill closing, the consultant projects the annual budget hole could reach $22 million by 2036. Without changes, this would leave the township with just $4.8 million in reserves.
Learn what the Falls Township landfill closure means for the budget and locals in the Bucks County Courier Times.
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