A proposed $100 trash fee increase has Upper Darby reconsidering the 2027 budget.
At this week’s council meeting, members voted to delay the planned public hearings on next year’s budget projected to raise trash fees $100 and sewer fees $20, but leave property tax rates unchanged.
The administration wants to move trash and sanitation costs toward a self-supporting operation funded by fees rather than relying on general fund revenues intended to support broader township operations.
During a presentation, Controller Diane Scutti, acting director of finance, said options to the $100 trash fee increase include splitting the increase between a higher real estate tax with a smaller trash fee increase.
A second option would be to take $2.5 million from the fund balance, which could impact borrowing for capital projects. The township has been trying to increase the fund balance to improve the township’s credit rating. It was unclear how much of an increase in the trash fee would be avoided by the extra $2.5 million.
The new sanitation fund would be $12 million. Disposal and recycling is 30 percent of that budget.
One council member said “the sticker value of the $100 increase is resonating with neighbors.”
Council asked if that fee amount will be maintained or increase in the future.
Mayor Ed Brown said they could not guarantee that their won’t be future expenses or rising costs. He called the budget “responsible” with no fluff and nothing dramatically new.
“We’re trying to do what’s responsible for our taxpayers to make sure we provide them with the level of service that they need and also make it affordable.” Brown said. “We have a hard decision to make.”
He said they don’t want to raise real estate taxes but trash costs are going up.
“I think it is better to play it on the safer side,” Council member Kyle McIntyre said in calling to table the issue.
Council member Noah Fields said there should have been earlier conversations on the budget.
The bigger picture
Officials said the budget also includes eight new firefighters to get to full coverage of 16-member platoons by September 2027.
In addition, $850,000 to support the firehouses. A small funding increase would help with renovation of fire stations as well as funding for any memorandum of understanding on agreements with the fire companies.
During the budget presentation, officials said that even with the 1% earned income tax, most township revenue comes from real estate taxes, though that amount continues to decline.
Since 2024, the township’s property tax base has decreased by $209 million, resulting in $2.8 million less in revenue.
The number of tax-exempt properties in the township has increased from 348 in 2024 to 408 this year. Another reason for the decrease in the revenue is the successful assessment appeals by property owners.
Officials said large multi-unit property owners have been appealing in court and winning, which results in lower property values and less taxable income.
There are also cases of property owners appealing past years, including a current settlement of a $133,000 reimbursement.
Officials said there has been little new development to offset those reductions. On the positive note, there are more property owners paying their taxes on time and in full.
For 2026, the township anticipates the earned income tax revenue to slightly exceed the budget of $17.8 million.
Seventy-nine percent of the budget is personnel costs. The administration is anticipating a $11.6 million fund balance at the end of 2026.
The library would receive $1.9 million from the township, which is 81 percent of the library system’s income.
The fire station incident
Near the end of the meeting, Fields said there had been an incident at Garrettford-Drexel Hill Fire Company that raised serious questions.
According to Fields, a yearslong emergency services fueling arrangement did not have adequate oversight.
He said it is his understanding the township reimburses the fire company for fuel at a pump at their station. At the same time, the fire company had been billing Upper Darby Paramedic Rescue for fuel dispensed at that facility.
“We need to understand how these transactions have been handled and why questions about this arrangement are only coming to the forefront now,” Fields said.
He said that on Oct. 6, paramedics were locked out of the fueling facility for eight hours and leadership of the paramedic unit were subjected to a barrage of calls and messages from fire company board members.
Fields said the immediate issue had been addressed with the issuance of “fleet cards,” though he questioned how the problem was allowed to continue for years without being answered.
Fields said EMS staff should not be caught in a dispute like this and he called for an investigation into the issue.
Council member Myron McNelly said the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office should be called to look at the issue.
Fields said he tried to take the issue to the council public safety committee, and they should take the matter seriously.
Public Safety Chair and Council Member David Bantoe said it is a sensitive issue and he is not going to rush anything.
“Delay, delay, delay. This is a serious issue,” Fields said. “You are just delaying the inevitable.”
Council member Marion Minnick said he has been concerned about financial irregularities in the administration, and said Bantoe was stalling on the topic.
“An investigation is warranted,” Minnick said.
“You guys need to meet to discuss this,” said Council President Michele Billups, who seemed surprised at the turn of events.
The council Public Safety Committee is scheduled to meet Monday.
In the end, council voted against putting the issue on the next agenda by a vote of 6-5.
“It will be revisited,” Billups said.
On another topic, the solicitor gave an update on concerns that have been raised about federal presence at voting locations, stating that the issue is already addressed by state and federal law, which makes it a crime to do that.
The next scheduled council meeting is Nov, 7, after Election Day.