Middletown Supervisors Approve Preliminary 2025 Budget, Consider New Stormwater Fee

The Middletown Township Municipal Complex Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

The Middletown Township Board of Supervisors are considering keeping taxes level in the proposed 2025 budget, and the addition of a stormwater fee is being considered.

The township has proposed a $45.1 million budget, with $3.5 million for capital expenses. It would keep the tax rate at 19.025 mills.

Township Manager Stephanie Teoli Kuhls said the municipality is facing a $2.8 million structural deficit for 2025 and lacks a permanent source of capital funding.

In the budget document, township officials wrote that a structural deficit can be fixed by looking at spending and possible future increases to real estate taxes.

In the proposed spending plan, the township’s expenditures outpace revenues with 86 percent of spending going toward salaries and benefits for employees.

The police department takes up the largest chunk of spending, with 52 percent of spending dedicated to the law enforcement agency, while the Earned Income Tax is the largest revenue source for the township.

The township has “aggressively” sought grant revenue, with $2.9 million coming into the municipality this year, Teoli Kuhls said.

The township plans to spend $500,000 for improvements to local roads; $1.5 million for upgrades to the police parking lot, municipal complex roof, improvements to Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company station on Yardley-Langhorne Road, and added security for the municipal complex; new vehicles for several departments; new turnout gear for firefighters; $90,000 for new computers, conference room technology, police mobile data terminals, and broadcast system upgrades; $110,000 for a comprehensive parks plan; $30,000 for tree work; $1.4 million for Middletown Community Park and Lions Park upgrades; $155,000 for police cameras, tasers, and patrol rifles; $30,000 for streetlight pole replacements; $19,500 for public works shop equipment; $25,000 for a road condition assessment tool; $200,000 for solar arrays to reduce energy consumption; and $1.5 million for transportation projects.

The supervisors will vote on the proposed budget at the meeting on December 16.

As part of the township’s new five-year contract with Waste Management, the waste and recycling fee will increase from $401 to $476 per household.

Separate from the budget, the supervisors are considering implementing a new stormwater fee to address long-standing infrastructure concerns and fund future improvements.

The proposed fee, which was recommended by a citizen advisory committee, would charge residential properties $5 per month and establish a tiered structure for commercial properties.

“The purpose of the fee is to provide, maintain and repair stormwater management infrastructure and assure water quality throughout the township,” said Nick Valla, the assistant township manager.

The fee is expected to generate approximately $1.79 million annually, with $1.5 million earmarked for new infrastructure projects and $200,000 allocated for maintenance of existing systems.

Residential property owners would pay a flat fee of $60 per year, while commercial properties would be charged based on their impervious surface area. The commercial fee structure ranges from $12 to $18 per month, with a maximum annual cap of $6,000 for the largest properties.

The proposal stems from recommendations made by a seven-member Stormwater Advisory Committee appointed by the board in summer. The committee met five times between August and October to assess the township’s needs and develop a funding strategy.

“There’s about $1.5 million of infrastructure projects planned just in the next five years alone. And that’s really about the bare minimum,” Valla explained.

Township officials highlighted the aging infrastructure in many neighborhoods, particularly those developed before modern stormwater management standards were implemented.

“We have plenty of neighborhoods. Langhorne Gable is the one we talk about probably the most often here as a neighborhood that has, when it was built, completely no stormwater infrastructure whatsoever,” Valla said.

Supervisors Chairperson Mike Ksiazek said he supported the fee, pointing to the persistent stormwater issues faced by residents.

“I think it’s undeniable that our stormwater infrastructure is not adequate to meet the needs of our residents,” Ksiazek said. “We’ve been doing what we can with what we have year after year after year. But I think the responsible and prudent thing for the township to do is to come up with a more long-term fix.”

A car travels on Middletown Boulevard during a rain storm.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

Bob Feather, a 35-year township resident and committee member, requested the board table the decision until further information could be provided.

“I don’t think the $5 fee per month, I think it’s – I think we can lower it for residents,” Feather said. “I truly believe that we are not doing our due diligence with these numbers that we should be or we can be doing for the residents of the township.”

Township Engineer James Kessler said the fee would provide a stable funding source to address infrastructure needs and comply with state and federal regulations.

“The effort to create a funding source that really is able to have the township move forward and properly maintain its infrastructure, that was the overall number we were aiming for,” Kessler said.

Teoli Kuhls stated that the proposed fee is lower than similar ones charged in the region.

The board did not take action on the proposal Monday night, but it will consider it at a future meeting.

If approved, the fee would start at some point in 2025 and most likely would be collected once-per-year, Valla said.

Officials said they would continue to pursue grant funding for stormwater projects.

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