No tax hike planned in East Rockhill

The proposed 2022 budget keeps the tax rate the same.

“We’re not proposing any tax increases, correct?” East Rockhill Township Board of Supervisors member Gary Volovnik said at the board’s Oct. 26 meeting.

“Correct. No tax increase, sewer rate increase or street light,” Township Manager Marianne Morano said.

That keeps the township property tax rate at 12.235 mills for the fourth straight year. According to tax information for the 2021 budget, the bill for a home assessed at the township average is $489. Each mill equals $1 of tax per $1,000 of assessed property value.

The 12.235 mills includes 8.725 mills for the general fund, 1.0 mill for fire protection, 1.26 mills for building debt for the Pennridge Regional Police headquarters and the East Rockhill Township municipal complex, and 1.25 mills for longterm capital improvements.

The board will vote at its Nov. 23 meeting on the proposed $5,895,425 of revenues and expenses. Budget information is available on the township’s website.

In a separate matter, the board gave preliminary/final approval for plans to add parking spaces at the Pennridge High School and Pennridge North Middle School campus on 5th Street.

The additional parking will be in three places — above the football stadium, at the new tennis courts and an expansion of the existing bus parking area — Carolyn DuBois, of K&W Engineers, Harrisburg, said. Some of the buses are now parked in the lot, but outside the bus parking area, so existing fencing will be removed and there will be restriping to expand the bus parking area, she said.

Most of the work will be in East Rockhill, with a small portion in Perkasie, she said.

“The net increase is 263 car spaces and 46 bus parking spaces,” DuBois said.

Preliminary analysis for the increased traffic has been done, but the final analysis will be after the additional parking spaces are in use, she said. Timing changes will be done to the traffic lights at Campus Drive and 5th Street and Blooming Glen Drive and 5th Street, she said.

“The thinking is to wait until the project is complete and then do the traffic as