MEDIA, P.A. (KYW Newsradio) — After a year of work, a new citizens’ task force created in Delaware County to find ways to reduce costs is targeting new employee health benefits, copy machines, and the county’s fleet of cars as areas to cut back. However, the new county budget still contains a 19% property tax hike for residents.
It would be the third year in a row county residents have seen a property tax hike as the last two years saw increases of 5% and 24%.
The latter 24% increase is the major reason why the citizens’ task force was created, according to Delaware County Council Vice Chair Richard Womack.
“I wanted to take a deeper look to see where we can make some cuts,” he said. “I wanted residents to understand what we’re up against. I wanted them to see what we are saving and that a lot of things that we’re doing are essential needs, and that there was no wasteful spending.”
Sixty residents were part of the task force, and their recommendations proposed cuts to the county’s fleet of cars and its use of the copy machine.
“We could probably almost save a million dollars by cutting back on the copier,” said Womack.
Another major area for targeted cuts was new employee health benefits, and there’s also a recommendation to trim down the number of vendors used by the county.
“Retiree benefits, that’s going to be a huge savings,” said Womack. “That will be a few million dollars being saved.”
He said all the proposed cuts will be considered in the upcoming budget negotiations.
The new 19% property hike means homeowners will, on average, pay $409 more on property taxes.