WEST CHESTER–The heavy lifting is nearly over. Borough Council voted to adopt a balanced $23.8 Million general fund budget with no property tax increase for 2026, at Wednesday’s Voting Session.
Council voted 5-1, in favor of the final budget with Brian McGinnis opposed and Bernie Flynn absent.
The millage rate will remain at 8.09 mills for the second year in a row. A home owner with a median-value home assessed at $178,000 will pay $1,440 in annual property taxes. A mill is a levy of the equivalent of one tenth of one percent of assessed property value.
Borough Manager Sean Metrick warned Council in a packet attachment that a tax increase for 2027 is likely because costs rise quicker than increases in assessed property values and earned income tax growth.
“The Borough continues to work towards controlling costs so that we only have to raise taxes once every second or third year and only a modest amount,” Metrick said. “Nearly one third of property values in the Borough are tax exempt, the largest owners being West Chester University and Chester County.”
Council will hold a hearing prior to its December meeting to consider raising the wastewater rate by 3 percent to fund capital projects for compliance with discharge permits and capital improvements at Goose Creek Waste Sewer Treatment Plant.
Billing occurs monthly and is based on water usage. A home that uses on average 100 gallons of water a day will see their bill increase from $51.79 a month to $53.34.
Key to balancing the budget was delaying or phasing of capital projects in the recreation, police and public works departments.
The borough will forego, at least for the time being, the purchase of a 5-ton dump truck, at a cost of $180,000 to fully outfit it, and plans to build a new Public Works building.
A major driver of cost was due to emergency medical services increasing 78% year over year to $298,000. This increase not only impacted West Chester but many of the surrounding municipalities that Good Fellowship Ambulance Company serves.
The borough also dipped into its Capital Operating Reserve Fund for $89,000 to balance the budget. The reserve fund currently has a balance in excess of $9 million and is invested in low risk Treasury notes and bonds as well as mortgage backed securities in accordance with Borough policy. The reserve fund has grown steadily over the last 4 years due to increases in interest rates.
With the new budget, the rental license fee will increase by 50 percent to $66 from previous year’s fees.
Metrick refers to this as a conservative fee that is within the range of fees charged by other municipalities and that the borough would be able to defend through any legal challenges. In the past, the borough lost a legal challenge when raising the inspection fee.
For 2026, Metrick said that the borough will take more careful account of garage-related income and expenses with the parking fund.
Also, year one accounting software expenses will be paid in October 2026 since the software will be implemented and billed then.
A written request to West Chester University has been drafted asking for reimbursement for Good Fellowship ambulance calls within the borough on university property. This will not affect the 2026 budget.
The borough now earmarks three separate areas for its millage rate: general purpose, the library and debt service.
The existing 0.15 library tax millage generates approximately $115,000 in revenue included in the budget as a direct payment to the West Chester Public Library, which they use to fund operations.
A vote was taken but failed to garner enough support to separate EMS funding and create a millage rate of .386 mills dedicated to EMS funding. That works out to roughly $68 per year for the median value home in the Borough.
Metrick said that separate fees, such as an EMS fee or a Library fee helps to illustrate where tax dollars go, what costs are driving the borough and gives the borough political cover.
Borough Council was deadlocked 3-3, with Mayor Lillain DeBaptiste making the deciding “No” vote in Councilman Flynn’s absence. Flynn had strongly advocated for the EMS fee. For 2026, there will be no dedicated EMS tax, but the funding is still included in the preliminary budget.
Councilpersons Patrick McCoy, Lisa Dorsy and Nicole Scimone voted against the separate EMS tax, while Sheila Vaccaro, McGinnis and Bryan Travis voted for it, along with the mayor.
DeBaptiste said after the meeting that an additional EMS tax would be difficult for many residents.
“Marking it as a specific line item, would hand tie the borough manager and council if they needed funding for another borough emergency,” DeBaptiste said.
Flynn: “The separate EMS tax is essential to West Chester Borough providing safe and reliable transportation for the residents. The dedicated fund will allow proper and consistent funding to safeguard short falls in future generations. Hearing the mayor voted against it was disappointing.”
Councilman McGinnis explained why he voted against the budget.
“I voted no on approving the overall budget because it failed to include a dedicated EMS tax — a critical oversight. A separate funding source would have given Good Fellowship Ambulance the stability it needs to plan for staffing, equipment, and long-term capital investments. Good Fellowship is a vital provider of emergency medical services in West Chester.
“By leaving EMS as just a line item in the general fund, we risk underfunding this life-saving service — especially as costs rise. Without dedicated EMS revenue, we may be forced to cut other departments like public works, parks, or police, or even raise taxes in future years to cover the gap.
“This is not just a budget issue — it’s a matter of public safety and fiscal responsibility. I remain committed to working toward a solution that protects EMS funding, ensures accountability, and provides long-term security for both our residents and first responders.”
Scimone was opposed to the EMS tax that she said would not have prevented future tax increases and would have “pigeonholed” and made the borough less flexible.
Source: Berkshire mont