Mayor Dave Fleisher discussed the proposal during a special township council meeting on Nov. 20.
Mayor Dave Fleisher and council have introduced a new 2026 municipal budget addressing increased costs for township services that mirror rising costs nationwide.
“This budget also reflects the reality of rising costs outside of our control,” the mayor said, “just as families across the nation are experiencing in their own households: the soaring cost of energy, increasing health-care costs, inflation, tariffs, along with trash and recycling collection and disposal, all which significantly impact our budget.”
Fleisher then explained in detail the increased cost of township trash collection and disposal. After a competitive bid process, the cost of the services will increase by $1.4 million beginning in January, with additional increases annually for the next four years.
That translates to a cumulative cost of $47.8 million for trash collection and disposal over the next five years, an increase of $12.4 million – or 34.9% – compared with the previous five-year period.
“As you see, trash collection, a critical service for our community, has a serious negative impact on the township budget,” Fleisher noted.
The proposed financial plan also includes a 5-cent increase in the municipal tax rate; for the average township homeowner, that translates to $31.50 more in quarterly property taxes.
The budget also invests in new technology for the police department and in the upgrade and repair of more than 20 miles of township roads. Improvements to township parks, recreation spaces and historic sites are also included.
“This budget puts public safety first, makes critical investments in neighborhoods, is fiscally responsible, plans for the future and is focused on what our residents have told us is most important,” Fleisher emphasized.
The proposed budget – its total as yet unknown – will appear on the township website before a hearing is held for residents to make their voices heard on the plan. That session will be held on Monday, Dec. 22, in person and via Zoom. The next regular council meeting will be held on Monday.
In other meeting business, council appointed Aidan Kerr and Patrick Gaffney to serve as Class II SLEO (Special Law Enforcement Officers).
