Fawn taxes to hold steady for 26th year

Fawn residents are not likely to see a property tax increase — for the 26th consecutive year — after the township supervisors approved the preliminary budget Tuesday.

“We’re able to hold the line on everything,” Township Treasurer/Secretary Pam Ponsart said. “We’re frugal about it.”

The $1.9 million budget holds the tax rate steady at 3.04 mills.

If approved in December, the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 again will pay $304 in real estate taxes to the township.

Ponsart said the board operates under the motto of a former longtime supervisor who was fond of saying, “Do we need it, or do we want it?”

With supply and material costs rising, Ponsart said the township keeps a fund balance tucked away in case of an emergency. There is $450,000 in the road budget and $436,000 in the capital building fund.

Supervisors approved $60,000 in fire donations to be split between Fawn Volunteer Fire Cos. No. 1 and 2. Health insurance for township employees will cost $90,000.

Township police will get a new vehicle, with supervisors budgeting $60,000 for the purchase.

“We’ll probably order it in the next couple months, but, with supply chains the way they are, I don’t know how long it will take for us to receive it,” she said.

One project that won’t happen is a repair of the landslide along Sun Mine Road.

A 150-foot section of the road crumbled last year near the split with Thompson Road. A township grant application to FEMA was denied, and Ponsart said the costs are too high without the financial aid.

“The road is still safe to drive on right now, and we can’t justify $600,000 on that expense,” she said.

The township last year spent $45,000 in engineering and site drilling costs for the FEMA application.

“It’s too much to spend again,” she said. “If it comes down to the point where it isn’t safe, we might have to block off a lane until we can get it figured out.”

There’s a chance thatThompson Road could be repaved in 2024, but that project is on hold while Allegheny County completes two bridge replacements.

“We’re waiting on a grant for that project, and it will be on the books once they finish the bridges,” Ponsart said.