Morning Headlines: Move to Narberth If You’re Tired of Rising Property Taxes

Photo credit: Julia Rowe via Flickr.

Next time you hear someone complaining about a property tax hike, point them to Narberth. The Main Line Times’ Cheryl Allison reports the Montgomery County Borough has—for the fifth year in a row—kept its no-tax increase rate.

A 6-0 vote by Borough Council in late December ended in favor of keeping the 8.777 mills real estate tax rate, which Allison says it’s had since 2011.

For a moment there, though, it didn’t seem like it would happen. In November, borough manager Bill Martin estimated that a “tax rate increase of .399 mills, to 9.194 mills” might be needed.

According to Allison, avoiding the rate hike was made possible thanks to an interest rate on a short-term loan that was going to cover removal costs of the former Rockland Avenue Bridge in 2013, as well as the proceeds from the project. Another factor keeping the rate in line was a “per-ton cost for solid waste disposal.” This cost is set to keep waste fees at bay this year.

• No property tax increase in Narberth Borough for fifth year [Main Line Times]

In other news…
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• Checking in on the South District planning process [PlanPhilly]
• Fight over the Wiota Street Garden in West Powelton heats up [UC Review]
• The Last Synagogues Of Strawberry Mansion [Hidden City]
• Mortgage rates not key to home-buying, experts say [Inquirer]
• Upper Providence supervisors honor planning commission member for service to township [Times Herald]