Peters Township To See Tax Increase Next Year

Peters Township Council will be looking at adopting a 2026 budget with a .25 mill tax increase. The new millage rate will be 1.95 mills. According to Township Manager Paul Lauer, the new rate will see the average tax bill increase $87.75 per year or about $7.50 per month. In total, the tax increase will raise approximately $800,000 for the township. The proposed budget shows $34.6 million in expenditures, offset by $27 million in revenues. Lauer says that the difference is made up through a $2 million grant, and $1 million in funds from a U.S. Food and Drug Administration Task Force award received in 2023. The rest is funded by previous bonds. The last tax increase was in 2018 when council voted to acquire half of the old Rolling Hills Country Club to turn it into the current Rolling Hills Park. According Lauer, this is the third tax increase in 30 years. Cost increases in the delivery of services are the main reason for the tax increase. The township will also be looking to hire a Human Resource manager. The biggest project on the books for next year is a $2 million road paving program. $1.5 million has been set aside to assume equipment from VFW 764 to redevelop ambulance service in the township. Just how that will occur has yet to be determined. The final budget will be adopted in December.