County Executive Tara Zrinski gives the 2027 Northampton County budget address. (Full video)
BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. — Northampton County Executive Tara Zrinski has proposed a 43.5% property tax increase in the new year.
Zrinski unveiled her 2027 budget plan Friday morning at the county’s Department of Human Services building.
Zrinski had previously said a tax increase was likely but didn’t talk official numbers until now.
She proposes increasing Northampton County’s millage rate from 10.8 mills to 15.5 mills.
One mill equals $1 of tax per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value.
The proposed increase means the owner of a home with a $100,000 assessed value would pay an extra $470 in taxes a year.
Northampton County has not raised property taxes in more than a decade; now-former County Executive Lamont McClure cut taxes by a mill in 2022, a move that Zrinski said has cost the county $40 million.
Zrinski said McClure’s last budget left important needs unfunded, including employee retirement contributions; the county’s contribution to its nursing home, Gracedale; and the Northampton County Jail.
She has also said the county must pay its employees more.
Zrinski conceded that the tax increase would not be viewed as a “welcome announcement,” but said it was necessary to responsibly meet the county’s commitments.
The spending plan will need to be approved by Northampton County Council.