Marple Township approves 5.49% real estate tax increase

Marple Township commissioners have approved a 5.49 percent real estate tax increase.

At the monthly commissioners’ meeting last week, officials approved the 2026 budget of $32.1 million, which comes with the millage going from about $2.64 to about $2.78 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Christine McMenamin, the Marple finance director, said they worked very hard over the past weeks to make changes to the budget. They have reduced staff and are asking for an increase of 14.5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.

She said the average house valued at $375,000 would see an annual increase of $87. McNenamin blamed rising labor costs and medical benefits as driving the increases.

During public comment, one speaker said cuts to the township library funding means spending nearly $200,000 less than in 2025. The budget will send $649,175 to the library for 2026.

Library Treasurer of the Board Michael Ballinger, speaking for the library board of trustees, said the funding cut will have a significant impact.

He said funding for the library will now be below what the township provided 10 years ago and is a cut of 25 percent in what has been provided in each of the last three years.

Bellinger said that as a result of the funding cuts, the library will have to eliminate all Sunday hours, open one hour later the other days, cut a number of popular programs and reduce access for museum passes.

He said the library will also reconsider building renovation work, which he said is badly needed on the 50-year-old building.

“The community will undoubtedly feel the impact of these cuts,” Bellinger said. “Each day we strive to be good stewards of every cent we receive through the township.”

He called the township and library a partnership and said they appreciate the township’s efforts and urged commissioners to reverse the cuts as soon as possible.

The board passed it unanimously without additional comment.

Township Manager Larry Gentile also asked commissioners to increase towing fees in the township from $150 to $200 and storage fees from $50 to $75, which he said is in line with or lower than other municipalities.

Gentile also recommended commissioners pass a street restoration ordinance that would require utilities that open a roadway to do a full-width road paving when finished. Many utilities have only partially repaved a road when finished.

“There is so much utility work going on … we can’t keep up with the work. We don’t have the funds to pave the other side of the road,” Gentile said.