Ross's Budget Challenge: Tax Increase or More Cuts?

Ross is facing a tricky budget situation for 2026. Even after making some cuts, they're still looking at an 8% property tax hike. This isn't great news for residents. The finance director, Dan Berty, recently shared the latest budget updates with the commissioners. They found some areas to trim, but they also found places where they didn't budget enough. So, it's a mix of good and bad news. The property tax rate is going up from 3. 7 mills to 4 mills. For the average homeowner, that means paying about $40 more a year. It's not a huge jump, but every bit counts. Even with this increase, there's still a $1. 5 million deficit. Without it, the deficit would be even bigger, at $2. 25 million. Ross has about $7 million in reserves, but that's not enough to cover the gap. They did manage to reduce the overall budget by 0. 3%, but that's not enough to avoid the tax increase. Some areas saw cuts, like trail projects and park improvements. But other costs went up, like renovating the police locker room. One big issue is assessment appeals and reassessments. When property values go down, the township loses money. Commissioner Dan DeMarco pointed out that the county needs to step up and do a reassessment. Right now, many properties are valued too low, which isn't fair to everyone else. The commissioners are set to vote on the budget on December 15. It's a tough situation, and they've got some big decisions to make.