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# A $100 Trash Fee, a Shrinking Tax Base, and No Reserve
- URL: https://www.delcorising.com/news/a-100-trash-fee-a-shrinking-tax-base-and-no-reserve/
- Published: 2026-10-24T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T12:00:00.000Z
- Description: A 30% trash fee increase, a sewer increase, no contingency line, and a fund balance $8 million below the township’s own goal.
- Author: Nick Giannini
- Tags: Upper Darby, News

Upper Darby Township Council voted Wednesday night to table the advertisement of the 2027 proposed budget due to some grey area on whether council could still amend the budget after advertising it. The solicitor said amending depends on how big the change is. The solicitor also reminded council that passing a budget before the end of the year is one of the few things the home rule charter requires them to do, and that any public hearing has to be advertised at least two weeks out.

#### **The $100 trash fee**

The proposed budget takes the trash collection department out of the general fund and into its own new, separate sanitation fund meant to pay for itself through a trash fee rather than through real estate taxes.

For this to work, it requires the township to raise the trash fee from $325 to $425…a 30% jump. The sanitation fund is proposed at $12mil and covers 61 full and part time employees. Those salaries and benefits account for about 60% of it. Disposal and recycling use up another 30%. Even after the increase, about $232,000 still has to come from the general fund to balance it.

The sewer fee would also rise, from $280 to $300.

Finance Director Diane Scutti laid out three alternatives funding combinations to the $100 increase and when asked whether the options were in any recommended order, she said no. She also wouldn’t commit to a $100 increase hold for a few years, due to collective bargaining and increasing disposal costs.

#### **Upper Darby’s taxable base**

The budget proposes ***no real estate tax increase*** and ***no change to the earned income tax***. Finance Ops Manager Debbie Nifong explained why the real estate side is shrinking anyway…since the start of 2024, Upper Darby’s tax exempt parcels have gone from 348 to 408\. So 408 properties that come off the tax roll entirely.

At the same time, large property owners, especailly multi unit residential owners…have been appealing their assessments in court and winning. The township’s taxable base has fallen as of a few months ago.

A lot of those appeals can go back several years, so the township owes refunds the same year an appeal concludes. Nifong said she is processing a $133,000 refund right now for just a single property owner whose annual bill will also ***drop*** by about $35,000 going forward.

Almost no new development is coming in to replace what’s leaving. The one positive she menmtioned is that collection rates are up since fewer accounts are going delinquent.

#### **Other budget numbers**

The proposed general fund budget is balanced at $97.7mil, an 8.5% increase in expenditures over 2026\. Police, parking, fire and EMS account for 67% of general fund spending with public works is 11%.

The presentation has ***no contingency line and no operational reserve***, even though both existed in 2026\. The fund balance is projected at $11.6mil at the end of this year against a goal of 20% of general fund expenditures.

*For context: A fund balance goal anywhere from 17% to 20% is a standard benchmark (which is roughly two months of operating costs). And on a $97.7mil general fund that would be about $19.5mil. So at $11.6mil they’re sitting near 12%…around $8mil short of their own target.*

Workers compensation claims are running an estimated 50% to 60% over the $1.8mil budgeted, due to more claims and larger settlements.

McIntyre asked finance for a list of 2026 spending in the special events, human resources and emergency services departments, saying those departments have gone over their appropriations and the money is already paid out.

#### **A failed vote on investigating the Garrettford fuel arrangement**

On Oct 6, township paramedics were locked out of the fueling facility at the Garrettford Fire Company for about (8) hours. VP Noah Fields raised it during old business, along with what he said followed…the people running the paramedic service were hit with a barrage of calls and messages from Garrettford board members after asking questions about their fuel bills.

Fields said the arrangement has run for years without real oversight and that the township reimburses Garrettford for fuel. Garrettford was supposedly separately billing a paramedic rescue service for fuel pumped at the same facility.

The township’s chief administrative officer called it a private dispute. Fields disagreed, because township money is in it. He moved to add a formal inquiry to the next meeting’s agenda so that council could investigate township affairs. Councilman McNeely seconded the motion, but the motion failed, 6 to 5.

What sank it was timing, not substance. Councilman Bantoe, who chairs Public Safety, said the matter is ***already on his committee’s November 2 agenda*** and he won’t move faster before all of the facts are gathered. McIntyre also voted no, citing overlapping committee assignments and the budget deadline. He also made sure to mention that he saw no intentional stalling. The council president also voted no, saying she wanted the committee to meet first, and told Bantoe to set a date within the week.

#### **Save the Mozino**

Several residents again spoke on the Mozino Forest. Terry McGrath asked council to think about the tract as a question of township identity rather than only trees and stormwater, and made the point that the township wouldnt have to fund a purchase alone since conservation organizations, land trusts, and county, state and federal agencies are all possible partners.

When directly asked where the township stands, President Billups referred the question to the solicitor, who said, “as it stands right now, I don’t believe that there is a submission with the township.”

Bonnie Hallam told the solicitor and council that she understood the developer had agreed to give Save the Mozino advocates a year to raise funds, and asked council to follow through on what it said in August about exploring conservation.

#### **No township ordinance on federal agents at polling places**

The solicitor reported back on public requests that council pass an ordinance addressing federal presence at polling locations. He said that federal and state law already cover it, and existing law already makes it a crime for US officials to send federal agents to election locations.

#### **Also at the meeting**

Fifteen residents signed up for public comment, and the trash fee drew the most criticism. One resident asked council to let township property taxes be paid via installments the way the school district allows…saying the township bill is now close to the school bill and hard to cover in one payment.

Township Engineer explained why Upper Darby pays three separate sewer authorities…Philly treats the eastern portion, Delcora handles the southwestern end, and the DCJA the northwestern end…and all three go to different treatment plants.