West Chester Borough manager discusses budget

Dated: October 13 2025

Views: 29

West Chester Borough Manager Sean Metrick warned of a potential tax hike or heavy use of reserves as the township begins work on a 2026 general fund budget that is projected to carry a $2.3 million deficit. Higher expenses for police, emergency medical services and capital projects are driving the gap in the roughly $22 million spending plan. Police costs alone are up 9%, or $819,000, while EMS expenses are set to rise 78%, or $131,000. Public works, parks and other departments also face steep increases. Metrick said the borough traditionally raises property taxes by about 3% every two to three years to offset rising costs, but limited taxable property and slow new development constrain revenue growth. He cautioned that fee increases and efficiency measures cannot close the structural deficit of roughly $250,000 to $300,000 a year. Council is expected to release a preliminary budget by Oct. 15 and must adopt a balanced plan by Dec. 31. Options include reducing operating expenses, deferring capital projects or tapping the capital fund at up to four times last year’s level.
Source: Daily Local; 9/18/2025

Blog author image

Pete McGuinn

Pete McGuinn - Your Trusted RE/MAX Main Line Real Estate Expert With over 22 years of experience as a full-time REALTOR® at RE/MAX Main Line, Pete McGuinn is a distinguished real estate professional....

Latest Blog Posts

5 Repairs Worth Doing Before You List (and 5 That Aren't)

Posted by Pete McGuinn
September 19 2026
0 comments

One of the most common questions I get from sellers: "What do I actually need to fix before we list?" Here's my honest, construction-background answer.Worth doing:Fresh, neutral paint — one of

Read More

Life Plan CCRC vs. Active Adult Community: Understanding the Difference

Posted by Pete McGuinn
September 5 2026
0 comments

One of the most confusing parts of exploring 55+ options is that "55+ community" actually covers two very different models — and mixing them up can lead to real financial and lifestyle

Read More

A First-Time Buyer's Guide to Delaware County School Districts

Posted by Pete McGuinn
September 2 2026
0 comments

One of the most common questions I get from first-time buyers with young kids (or plans for them) is simple: "Which school district should we be looking in?"I don't have a one-size-fits-all answer

Read More

City controller finds hundreds of property owners exploiting tax relief program

Posted by Pete McGuinn
August 31 2026
0 comments

Philadelphia’s city controller says the city and school district are losing millions of dollars in revenue from people who improperly claim a homestead exemption on their taxes. The homestead

Read More

Property Search

Contact Information

Address: 1615 West Chester Pike
West Chester, PA 19382
Phone: 610-692-2228
Phone: 610-804-6977

Search Blog

Our Bloggers

Pete McGuinn Posts

Pete McGuinn

984 Posts