Pine’s property tax rate remains unchanged at 0.998 mills, the lowest among Allegheny County municipalities, in the proposed 2025 budget.

The budget has been designed to accommodate the maximum allowable homestead/farmstead exclusion, 50% of the median assessed value of residential property in the township.

Overall general fund revenues are projected to increase by 8.78% over the 2024 budget. Revenue from Act 511 taxes on income is anticipated to increase by $560,000.

“High interest rates continue to negatively impact revenue sources such as real estate transfer and building permit fees, but overall, other revenue sources are offsetting these concerns in 2025,” township manager Jason Kratsas said. “Budgeting for real property taxes is conservatively budgeted due to the uncertainty of the common-level ratio in our county.”

The common level represents the ratio of assessed value to current market value as last determined by the state Tax Equalization Board.

For Pine, overall general fund expenses are projected to increase by 5.17% over the current year.

The 2025 capital program is proposed to focus on enhancing township infrastructure. Highlights are:

• For parks and recreation, projects will include a veterans’ memorial, HVAC and generator upgrades at the Pine Community Center, additional facilities at the Pine Athletic Complex, and utility and lighting upgrades.

• Completion of traffic improvements, such as the Wexford Flats signalization project, along with processor upgrades and the completion of trails and missing links.

• Annual maintenance and repaving of roads, and replacement of aging equipment and infrastructure, including plow and dump trucks, tractors, stormwater piping and pond rehabilitation.

New in the 2025 proposed budget, Pine has added $2 million for land acquisition to its capital fund. The request for property acquisition would be funded entirely through existing assets.

In the general fund, the township added a full-time staff position with benefits for public safety matters, converted two part-time facility attendants to a full-time position with benefits, and reevaluated parks and recreation revenue expectations for 2025.

The budget includes funding for all public safety partners, including the Northern Regional Police Department, Wexford Volunteer Fire Company and McCandless Franklin Park Ambulance Authority.

Next year will see an increase in financial support to the fire company, which is slated to receive $334,370 to fund general operating expenses, a 7.86% increase over 2024. The company will receive a $180,000 reimbursement for capital equipment purchases and capital construction, a decrease of 69.26%

Pine also provides support in the form of workers’ compensation, property insurance on vehicles and buildings, building maintenance, and administrative support services.

The police department will receive slightly more than $2.5 million, an increase of 15.5% over 2024 due to an offset of contributions as a result of a returned surplus of $535,726 to member municipalities.

The ambulance authority will receive a contribution of $40,000 which is consistent with the 2024 contribution.

Kratsas reported that while the township has completed its pollution reduction program for Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Municipal Separate Storm Sewer requirements, “MS4 expenditures will continue to be a significant budget item. The next round of the pollution reduction program will be developed in 2025.”

This year, a new branch of the Northern Tier Regional Library opened in the Pine Community Center. The library will receive a contribution of $308,200 in support from Pine, an increase of 1.1% over 2024.

The full proposed budget is available for public review and inspection at the municipal building and by visiting twp.pine.pa.us . The budget is set to be voted on at the Dec. 2 board of supervisors meeting.

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