Lower Saucon Township residents could pay more in property taxes in 2027 as Township Council prepares to advertise a proposed $10.7 million budget. Apparently, everything costs more, including local government.

The proposed 1.75-mill tax increase would bring the combined general and fire fund tax rate to 7.49 mills. For a property assessed at $86,867, that means an additional $152.04 annually, or about $12.67 a month. That’s a few coffees or one less takeout order.

Acting Township Manager John J. Finnigan Jr. and Finance Director Patricia Kuronya say the increase is the most prudent option for township finances. Officials also warn against dipping too deeply into reserves, because even the township’s piggy bank has its limits.

Employee medical benefit costs are expected to rise 20%, while several departments, including police, public works, administration and engineering, are slated for additional funding. Parks and Recreation and Finance are among those facing cuts.

The open space fund is also expanding its to-do list, covering lawn care, Heller Homestead windows, a bat-wing mower and repairs at the Sandra Yerger Community Recreation Area and Nature Reserve. Apparently, even open space needs a little financial breathing room.

Meanwhile, several capital projects are making repeat appearances in the budget, including the public works building addition, police radios, stormwater improvements, a rail trail bathroom and the Southeastern Park playground. Will 2027 finally be their year, or will they return for another budget encore?

Council can still make changes, with a revised budget expected in November and final approval scheduled for December.

Until then, residents can look forward to the annual municipal tradition of debating what needs funding, what can wait and how much more taxpayers should have to pay.

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Well, Lehigh County residents, you might want to grab a snack, take a deep breath, and check on your wallet. The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners gave the county’s proposed 2027 budget its first approval Wednesday night, and it comes with a property tax increase of nearly 17%. Ouch. That’s one way to make your mailbox feel threatening.

The original budget proposed by County Executive Joshua Siegel called for a tax increase of nearly 18%, raising the millage rate from 3.78 mills to 4.45 mills. In other words, the county’s bills are getting bigger, and unfortunately, they aren’t the kind you can ignore until they magically disappear.

Meanwhile, county commissioners rolled up their sleeves and proposed 11 amendments to the budget, trimming approximately $1.4 million in spending.

Those cuts brought the proposed millage rate down from 4.45 to 4.41 mills. It’s a reduction, sure, but nobody’s exactly throwing a wallet-saving parade just yet.

What Got Cut? The Budget Went on a Diet.

Commissioners made several changes to the proposed spending plan. Some positions and programs made the cut list, while other expenses got trimmed around the edges.

Here’s what happened:

• Chief of staff position: A proposed job costing $133,020 in salary and benefits was eliminated. The vote was 7-2.
• Communications director position: Another proposed position, with a price tag of $129,409 in salary and benefits, was also cut. The vote was 7-2.
• Human resources generalist: A new position costing $98,105 in salary and benefits was eliminated, also by a 7-2 vote.
• Clean election grant initiative: A proposed $500,000 program that would have used taxpayer money to support political campaigns was cut unanimously. That one got a collective thumbs-down.
• Open space funding: Commissioners unanimously changed the funding sources for $500,000 in open-space purposes that had been allocated through the gaming budget.
• Specialized services: The operating budget was reduced by $20,000. Every little bit counts, apparently.
• Part-time personnel: Another $11,500 was trimmed from this budget line.
• Public defender's office: Commissioners unanimously approved transferring $108,151 from the county's opioid settlement fund to the full-time personnel budget line for the public defender's office.

The budget is scheduled for its second reading on October 28, so this financial saga isn't quite over. Stay tuned, because apparently even budgets get sequels.

So, Why Are Taxes Going Up?

The proposed tax increase is largely tied to decisions made before he took office and expenses his administration says it cannot control.

The county needs the additional revenue to maintain services residents depend on and address growing financial pressures. And the numbers help explain why officials say the budget is under strain.

County tax revenue has remained nearly flat since 2011, while expenses have been climbing. From 2018 through 2026, revenue increased by 12%, but expenditures jumped by 28%.

That’s a pretty awkward financial balancing act: money coming in is taking the stairs while money going out is sprinting up the escalator.

The county also wants to rebuild its financial reserves with a $5 million contribution to its fund balance. Think of it as the government's emergency savings account — because even county governments need a rainy-day fund.

And then there’s health care. The administration projects annual health care cost increases of 11.8% under the proposed 2027 spending plan. Apparently, even the county's expenses have decided to keep up with inflation.

Raises, Pensions, and Other Expensive Business

The proposed budget also includes several major personnel and operating expenses.

These include:

• A 3% salary increase for nonunion employees.
• A $21 million contribution to the county pension plan.
• An additional $6.7 million to cover rising operating costs across county departments.

The budget also sets aside $5 million to address a financial shortfall at Cedarbrook Nursing Home.

Other proposed spending includes a driver's license monitoring system to track employee driving records, membership in the International City/County Management Association, attendance at the organization's annual conference, and an employee engagement and appreciation program.

Yes, the budget even includes employee appreciation. Because apparently, in addition to keeping the county running, somebody also has to make sure everyone feels appreciated while the spreadsheets cry quietly in the corner.

The Bottom Line

Lehigh County's 2027 budget is still making its way through the approval process, and commissioners have already made several changes to the original proposal. The cuts lowered the proposed millage rate slightly, but the plan still includes a property tax increase of nearly 17%.

The additional revenue is needed to cover rising expenses, maintain services, and rebuild financial reserves. For residents, however, the big question is how the final budget will affect their household finances.

The next chapter arrives October 28, when the budget gets its second reading.

Until then, Lehigh County taxpayers may want to keep an eye on the calendar, follow the budget debate, and perhaps give their wallets a little pep talk. They're going to need it.

Prior to the Federal Reserve's decision to raise rates, rising Treasury yields reached a level not seen since 2007, which caused mortgage rates to reach their highest point in almost 18 months. 

The average rate on 30-year fixed home loans increased to 6.95% for the week ending September 17, up 19 basis points from 6.76% the week before and the most since late June 2025. For comparison, a year ago, rates averaged 6.26%.

Since April 2025, when President Donald Trump's tariff actions rocked the economy, this represents the largest one-week rate hike. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage continues to fluctuate as markets assess economic data.

Rising 10-year Treasury rates, which reached their highest levels in 19 years and above 5% on Tuesday in anticipation of the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) 12-0 vote on Wednesday to raise the benchmark interest rate, are the main cause of the spike.

The Federal Reserve recently raised interest rates by 0.25%, which is its first increase in three years. This brings the federal funds rate to between 3.75% and 4%. The goal is to slow down inflation, which has been affected by high oil prices connected to the ongoing war in Iran.

Since the conflict started in February, mortgage rates have gone up by more than 90 basis points. They are also over 60 basis points higher than they were in 2025. However, the recent Fed increase is not included in today’s Freddie Mac mortgage rate because Freddie Mac’s rate is based on an average from the previous week. The full effect of the Fed’s decision will probably show up in mortgage rates over the next few weeks.

Higher mortgage rates are making things harder for people who are trying to buy or sell homes. The housing market is already slowing down. Existing-home sales reached their lowest point of 2026 in August, pending home sales are lower than they were last year, and applications to buy homes are down 19% compared with a year ago.

For buyers, higher mortgage rates mean higher monthly payments and make buying a home more difficult. Sellers may have to lower their prices or decide to take their homes off the market. With mortgage rates getting close to 7%, the housing market could slow down earlier than usual this fall.

Your credit score is also very important when applying for a mortgage. It can affect whether you qualify for a loan and what interest rate you get. Generally, the higher your credit score, the better your chances of getting a lower interest rate.

The credit score you need depends on the type of mortgage you choose. A score of 620 is usually considered fair, while some FHA loans may be available to people with scores as low as 500.

If your credit score is 740 or higher, you are generally considered to have very good credit. This can help you qualify for better mortgage rates and potentially lower monthly payments.

Every mortgage program has its own credit requirements, and some lenders may have stricter rules. Basically, lenders want to see that you have a good enough credit history and enough income to pay back the loan.

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More progress is being made on plans to rehabilitate Catasauqua's historic Crane Iron Works property.

VM Development Group's master plan for the land was approved by the Catasauqua Boro Council on Monday, September 21, by a vote of 6-0. 

A master plan describes a hypothetical layout that will direct future development at the waterfront site, therefore the expected vote is more of a "big picture" approval. Its approval is the next stage in a protracted process to start a project that boro leaders have referred to as a "game changer." 

Most recently, in June 2026, Catasauqua authorized a Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) to be allowed as a conditional use in the Waterfront District and approved the repeal of current Waterfront Overlay District (WOD) requirements. 

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Some repairs are coming to a colonial-era Lehigh Valley building that is the oldest extant Moravian edifice in North America.

The renovation at the Gray Cottage in Nazareth is designed to preserve its long-term structural integrity for continuous public use. Built in November 1740, the one-and-one-half-story log house is a fine example of early Pennsylvania-German and Moravian architecture.

The Moravian Historical Society is a museum and historic site located at 214 E. Center St., Nazareth.

Visitors can see craftspeople replace the historic logs using traditional methods throughout August and learn how a colonial-era log building is kept. The public may visit the site in Nazareth from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday thru Friday.

The preservation project will replace the bottom course of logs that have decayed and repair other compromised logs to fulfill key structural demands.

Replacement logs will be hand-hewn to match the original 18th-century materials and craftsmanship. Among the repairs will be the removal of old packing materials from cracks that no longer match current preservation standards.

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The Nazareth Area School District Board of Directors recently passed the final 2026–27 general budget resolution, which includes a tax hike for homeowners.

The plan to spend $121 million includes a tax increase of 4.1%, which brings taxes up to the highest level set by Act 1. This means that property owners will have to pay 2.46 mill more. The budget for $121 million is 3.22 percent more than the budget for 2025–26.

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The board could have raised taxes by 4%, which was on the plan for the evening, but they chose the higher rate.

There is a 1% real estate tax with a.5% district share, a.7% district share of earned income, and a 62.40 mills school tax on the dollar rate in the budget.

Board members say that part of the reason for the tax increase was contractual responsibilities.

The Board President said that she knew any tax increase would be unpopular, especially with the economy the way it is now, when she talked about why she voted for the tax increase.

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With the extra money, though, the district wouldn't have to carry over a loss.

The district's budget for 2025–26 included a 2.95 percent tax hike for homeowners.

Nothing Bundt Cakes has opened a new bakery in Easton, bringing the national specialty cake chain to another Lehigh Valley community.

The Easton bakery is one of three Nothing Bundt Cakes locations in or near the Lehigh Valley, joining the company’s Lehigh/Allentown and Quakertown shops.

The bakery, at 3788 Nazareth Road, soft-opened in late May and is now serving customers,  The location offers pickup, delivery and fundraising services, according to the company’s website.

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Nothing Bundt Cakes sells Bundt cakes in several sizes, including Bundtinis by the dozen, individual Bundtlets and 8- and 10-inch cakes. A menu posted inside the Easton shop listed individual Bundtlets starting at $6.29, Bundtinis by the dozen starting at $30.99 and larger cakes starting at $32.39.

The Easton shop’s menu includes classic flavors such as chocolate chocolate chip, red velvet, white chocolate raspberry, confetti, lemon, carrot, classic vanilla, strawberries and cream, and Oreo cookies and cream, along with gluten-free chocolate chip cookie and gluten-free lemon raspberry options.

A Nothing Bundt Cakes menu board lists flavors, cake sizes and prices inside the Easton bakery.

A menu board inside the new Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery in Easton lists cake flavors, sizes and starting prices.

The storefront also includes what the company calls a “Bundtique,” which sells party and special-occasion items. The shop carries cards, candles, balloons, plates, birthday supplies, and cake gift wrap.

The bakery’s posted hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Pickup hours match the weekday and Saturday bakery hours, with Sunday pickup listed from noon to 5 p.m., according to the company’s Easton page.

The opening comes as Nothing Bundt Cakes rolls out seasonal summer flavors nationwide. The Easton shop’s posted limited-time flavors included S’mores Made With Hershey’s and Banana Prepared With Nutella, and Schwartz said the bakery expects to add peach cobbler for the summer.

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Nothing Bundt Cakes was founded in Las Vegas in 1997 by Dena Tripp and Debbie Shwetz, according to the company’s official history. The Dallas-based company says it has grown to more than 600 locations and describes itself as the No. 1 specialty cake company in the U.S.

With a 4.1% property tax hike, the East Penn School District Board of Directors approved a proposed budget.

The planned nearly $213.6 million budget for 2026–27 is still balanced. However, the district will be under long-term financial pressure as costs continue to rise faster than revenue.

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The budget proposes a tax rate of 22.735 mills and keeps the property tax rebate scheme going for people who qualify. Estimates from the district show that a rise to that level would add about $194 to the yearly property tax bill of the average home in the district, which is currently worth $216,367.

The budget that was given to become balanced in part by cutting the district's contribution to the capital reserve by $1.5 million. There would be a structural deficit and ongoing economic problems even if the budget was balanced. Early talks about the budget showed that there would be a shortfall of about $2.14 million for the 2026–27 school year.

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Officials found $622,000 in cuts that could be made, but they weren't included in Monday's spending plan. The amount was made up of $150,000 in departmental cuts and $222,000 in lost support staff.

At their April 14 meeting, the Allen Township Board of Supervisors agreed to give a restaurant liquor license to the future Wawa store at the corner of Route 329 and Savage Road. The choice was made after a short meeting where KrugerHenry (formerly Flaherty & O'Hara PC) lawyer Ellen Freeman explained how the license would be used.

Wawa has no strikes for selling alcohol to minors or people who are already drunk in any of its 44 Pennsylvania shops that have a license to do so, which has a lot to do with safety rules and regulations. All Wawa employees have to go through training and follow a strategy of being carded 100% of the time.

As needed by the license, the convenience store will have enough seating for 30 people. That being said, the laywer thinks that most of the beer sales will be to-go. People can buy two six-packs at once or drink one 12-ounce beer while they're there. People can't drink beer in the parking lot or outside of the store's sitting area. The registers can be seen from every spot.

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Because the license lets them, Wawa will only sell beer when it first opens, even though they can sell wine and canned drinks. Sales will only be possible from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday.

Wawa has to keep up its status as the best supermarket in the area. The business can't let "nuisances" hurt its image. No one from the public who was at the hearing asked any questions or voiced any worries. There were three managers at the time: Jason Frack, Gary Behler, and Tim Paul. All three agreed to give the liquor license.

The next meeting of the Allen Township Board of Supervisors will be on April 28 at 6 p.m. in the Allen Township Municipal Building at 50 Snow Hill Road.