Ross's Budget Challenge: Tax Increase or More Cuts?

Ross is in a tight spot. They're trying to balance their 2026 budget, but it's not easy. Even after making some cuts, they're still looking at an 8% property tax hike. That's not great news for residents.

The finance director, Dan Berty, shared the latest budget updates with the commissioners. They did find some areas to trim, but they also discovered some places where they didn't budget enough. So, it's a bit of a mixed bag.

The Property Tax Rate Increase

Here's the deal: the property tax rate is going up from 3.7 mills to 4 mills. For the average homeowner, that means paying about $40 more a year. Not a huge jump, but every bit adds up.

Even with this increase, there's still a $1.5 million deficit. Without it, the deficit would be even bigger, at $2.25 million. Ross has about $7 million in reserves, but that's not enough to cover the gap.

Budget Cuts and Increases

They did manage to reduce the overall budget by 0.3%, but that's not enough to avoid the tax increase. Some areas saw cuts, like trail projects and park improvements. But other costs went up, like renovating the police locker room.

Assessment Appeals and Reassessments

One big issue is assessment appeals and reassessments. When property values go down, the township loses money. Commissioner Dan DeMarco pointed out that the county needs to step up and do a reassessment. Right now, many properties are valued too low, which isn't fair to everyone else.

The Vote

The commissioners are set to vote on the budget on December 15. It's a tough situation, and they've got some big decisions to make.