Falls to Hold Line on 2025 Taxes Falls Township will maintain its current municipal tax rate in 2025, while continuing the same high-quality services residents have come to appreciate. During Tuesday’s meeting, the Falls Supervisors unanimously adopted its 2025 budget. The 2025 spending plan will hold the line on the current 8.97 millage rate. Under the budget, property owners would continue to pay $269.10 for an average assessment of $30,000 under the township’s 2025 budget. The owner of a similarly assessed Bristol Township property, by comparison, paid $1,059.40 in local taxes for 2024, while the owner of a similarly assessed Northampton Township home paid $1,415. Unlike neighboring communities, Falls residents are not assessed for trash and leaf pickup. Even with keeping taxes flat, the township is planning several upgrades in 2025. Falls has earmarked $100,000 to replace the 15-year-old slide at Pinewood Pool and $70,000 for improvements at Elderberry Park and Mill Creek Manor Park. The 2025 spending plan reduces the reliance on host community fees from $16.8 million in 2019 to $7 million for 2025, according to Finance Director Betsy Reukauf. Reukauf said $10 million is estimated to be collected in 2025 from the EIT. For decades, Falls officials have worked hard to do more with less. For every $1 paid in taxes, Falls Township receives just 4 cents. Yet, year after year the township sees spiraling pension contribution increases. Over the last decade, the township has seen its pension obligation nearly triple. Pension contributions surged from $1.3 million in 2012 to $2.6 million in 2017, with nearly $3 million projected for next year, all while the state contributions have remained relatively flat. Even with holding the line on taxes the township is planning a number of capital projects for 2025, including culvert improvements at South Olds Boulevard, Rice Drive and Falls Township Community Park. In addition, repairs are planned for Martins Creek, as well as drainage upgrades at Briaroot Lane. Mill and overlay projects planned for next year include Cedar Lane, Corbin Lane and East Tyburn Road. In all, $48,871,695 is projected to be spent in 2025. Falls OKs 2 Land Development Plans in Industrial Zone New industrial operations are on the horizon in Falls Township. During Tuesday’s Falls Supervisors meeting, the board granted preliminary and final land development approval for construction of a cold storage facility, as well as areas for the storage and production of mulch and compost. With the approval Agile Cold Storage will construct a 232,596-square-foot warehouse on a 14.5-acre parcel situated on the south side of Cabot Boulevard East. Once built, the warehouse would operate in two shifts with 70 employees working during the busiest work shift, according to attorney Mike Meginniss, who represents the property owner. The facility, he said, would be used for the sole purpose of storing cheese and French fries. “That’s two of my five food groups,” Chairman Jeff Dence joked. In addition to the new warehouse, a new rail spur, driveways, parking, entrance roads, a guardhouse and stormwater facilities would be added to the parcel. Supervisor John Palmer, the lone no vote on the project, raised concerns about the waiver related to sidewalk construction, stressing that walking along Cabot Boulevard for employees who take mass transit would be unsafe. The board also granted preliminary and final land development approval to Britton Industries to clean up the junkyard at 4 M-Y Lane and transform it from “an eyesore” to a “positive use for a good business in Falls,” according to Meginniss, who also represented the applicant. The company intends to create eight lease areas ranging in size from 1.76 acres to 1.99 acres on the 17.34-acre property for outside storage and production of mulch or compost. Existing buildings will be demolished, and no new buildings will be constructed, according to the plan. In other business, the board approved creating a 501c3 nonprofit organization to oversee township charitable fundraising efforts, including the annual Touch a Truck fundraiser. The organization is tentatively called Friends of Falls Township Park, but Dence said another name will likely be chosen. Township attorney Lauren Gallagher is in the process of drafting the necessary articles of incorporation for creation of the nonprofit. She expects the nonprofit be established by the first quarter of 2025. Dence said “all fundraising” would be undertaken through the nonprofit organization.