Plum residents worried, angry as council approves nearly 40% increase in property tax rate

Plum residents voiced concerns and, at one point, erupted in anger as council approved a nearly 40% increase in borough property taxes Wednesday.

Council voted 6-1, with Dave Vento against, to increase the borough’s 2024 property tax rate by 1.85 mills, from 4.78 mills to 6.63 mills. It will support the borough’s $25.1 million 2024 budget, which was approved unanimously.

As approved, the annual borough property tax bill on a home at Plum’s median assessed value of $116,700 will increase by 38.7%, or about $216, from $558 to $774.

About 50 residents attended the council meeting. Several shouted as Councilman Ryan Delaney tried to break down the increase to being only $185 on $100,000 of value, further dividing that by 12 months and 365 days.

“If there is any way to do this better, we would be doing it,” Delaney said, adding that his comments were “coming from the heart.”

“I love this borough. I hate doing this to people, but it’s irresponsible to not vote for a tax increase tonight,” he said.

Plum had not increased its property tax rate since 2017. This increase, officials say, is intended to carry the borough for at least five years.

Councilman Dave Seitz said they heard residents’ concerns and took a second look, including at spreading the tax increase over two to five years.

“In all those scenarios, though, the end result is at the end of the day your net tax payment is higher if you give up the increase in the first year and reduce it to some effect,” he said. “We have planned for a five-year budget. Our intent is that taxes will not need to be raised for the next five years. When we get to the end of that five-year period, we would expect that there wouldn’t be another large increase because we wouldn’t have the large expenses that are driving this tax increase. If anything, it would be a nominal increase or no increase at all.”

There also is a chance the borough could reduce the millage if the borough’s revenues increase, Seitz said.

“Where we’re at right now, we feel that the current tax increase is the most efficient and best way to proceed,” he said.

Speaking before council voted, several residents expressed concerns about how the borough is handling its finances and how senior citizens and those on fixed incomes will be able to afford a higher tax bill.

Kim Dolan said she was representing her elderly mother and her aunt and uncle who, like many in the audience, are on fixed incomes or Social Security.

“Are they supposed to cut down on their meals, eat two meals a day instead of three meals a day? Cut their medication in half? Sell their houses?” she said. “I know what a hardship it will be for us. I don’t know what my mother’s going to do, or my aunt.”

Her husband, Paul, said they have lived in Plum almost 40 years. He said his background is in accounting, finance and business management.

“Why is this necessary when the tax base in Plum has to have increased dramatically over the years with all the new housing developments in this borough?” he said. “The base is broadened, the value of these homes is broadened, which should naturally just bring in more revenue. I don’t understand it.”

Deborah Caruso, a lifelong resident, said she represented 10 homes and more than 100 acres on Hempfield Hollow.

“I am a new widow on Social Security. I have in-laws in their 90s on Social Security. We cannot afford this increase,” she said.

In response to officials saying borough services would have to be cut if taxes are not increased, Caruso said they don’t have public water or sewage service and their roads are not maintained.

“Don’t increase my taxes because I pay a lot of taxes. I can’t afford it,” she said. “Cut the services that I don’t get now. I don’t think I’ll miss them.”

Dave Wolfe Sr. said he moved to Plum from North Buffalo three weeks ago.

“I have to be honest, I regret it,” he said.

A former supervisor in North Buffalo, Wolfe said he began reviewing three years of Plum’s budgets last night. He said he found the borough is spending more than it budgeted this year.

“This is a community that looks to me that it’s a divided community among seniors and younger people,” he said. “Those seniors are not going to be able to afford this.”

He questioned borough spending on shirts and hats, and how much it pays for legal services.

“There’s a lot of people in this borough that can’t afford what you people are proposing,” he said. “In the future, I’ll be here. When you’re right, I’ll help you. When you’re wrong, I’m going to criticize you.”