Emmaus Borough residents turned out in force Monday to protest a 25.6% hike to their municipal tax payments.
Despite more than two hours' worth of public comment from residents mostly opposing the tax rate-raising measure, the borough council voted to accept the measure 6-1 after its second reading Monday. The ordinance was first introduced at the body's Dec. 2 meeting. The measure called for taxes levied at a combined tax rate of 10.4455 mills, up from 8.3155. The rate is comprised of the general fund tax rate of 8.1204 mills, the fire fund tax of 1.8461 mills, a special roads fund tax of .32 mills, and a streetlight fund tax at a rate of .159 mills. Officials reported that the borough experienced financial difficulties in several areas. For example, pension costs increased by $54,000; health care costs increased by 11%, or $124,995. Workers' compensation increased by $54,780, or 34%. Electricity costs increased by 30%, or more than $40,000. Similarly, natural gas increased by more than $13,000, and refuse costs increased by $518,628. Officials also expect a revenue drop of more than $1 million, partially because construction is down. Thus, permitting revenues are expected to decrease by more than $30,000.
The first on the list was $150,000 for roof repairs for the Emmaus Public Library, whose roof is completely rotted and badly leaking into the building. Other large expenses included $104,500 for a police car and $66,646 for pool repairs. As it stands, the crack causes the pool to lose 55,000 gallons per day. Another area of high costs relates to sewer upgrades from Lehigh County Authority, starting in 2026. LCA is a nonprofit municipal authority whose mission is to protect public health and the environment by providing high-quality, safe, and reliable water and wastewater services.
The upgrades are projected to cost the borough $18.7 million. The budget also includes $4 million the borough must spend on sewer line upgrades, officials said. Remediation of city wells 1 and 2 is another large project, with a cost of $13 million for which the borough anticipates a 50% grant. According to a February 2024 notice from borough manager Shane Pepe, the aquifer that feeds the wells is directly adjacent to the borough's fire training facility. Over the years, activities included firefighting foam, which was often used in training and practice. Unbeknownst to those involved, the foam contained harmful PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. PFAS is a large, complex group of synthetic chemicals that have been used in consumer products around the world since about the 1950s.
A large number of budget cuts are also included in the 2025 plan. Those cuts include the following: eliminating three current full-time employees, including the assistant borough manager, parks director, and full-time ambulance positions; eliminating three other full-time positions, including a police officer, the replacement of a retiring public works employee; and creating a management position in the fire/ambulance department. Further cuts include eliminating a second ambulance during the day, Monday through Friday. The original proposed tax increase was just over 50%, which would have helped maintain the positions as well as other capital items that were cut from the budget. The borough's current millage rate is 8.3155, which includes a general tax fund tax of 6.4404 mills, a fire fund tax of 1.3961 mills, a special roads fund tax of 0.32 mills, and a street light fund tax of 0.159 mills. The proposed rate for 2025 would represent an increase of 25.6%. For a property assessed at $100,000, the proposed tax bill for 2025 would equal $1,044.55, compared to $831.55 this year. Local developer Jonathan Wilhite supported the measure.
Emmaus residents have the benefit of a paid fire department—one of the only in the area. Additionally, they have a police department and ambulance service, among other services. Chris DeFrain offered advice to the current council and stated the borough would benefit from conversations for the short- and long-term health of the borough. Michael Felegy, a resident who is also a member of the East Penn School District board of directors, called the increases "outrageous." Many people are giving push back to the increase taxses. Overall, the borough council thanked residents for making their opinions known and encouraged more participation in the future. For their part, residents encouraged better communication between themselves and councilmembers.
