East Deer residents to pay 35% more for garbage collection

East Deer residents will pay about 35% more for their garbage pickup in 2025.

Commissioners on Tuesday approved the township’s 2025 budget, which maintains the property tax rate at 4.65 mills but includes a hike for garbage pickup.

“There’s no increase,” Commissioners President Tony Taliani said of taxes. “It’s been the same for several years.”

The owner of a property assessed at the median assessed value, $49,700, would continue to pay $231.11 to the township annually.

But East Deer rebid its garbage contract for the first time in eight years, which resulted in the increased cost. Bankosh Sanitation of Slickville retained the contract.

Property owners will pay $5.50 more a month, from $15.50 to $21, for services.

Grant funding helped keep taxes level and will help spur several projects in the upcoming year.

A waterline project along Marion Street is expected to cost about $255,000, with East Deer’s share being about $41,000. That’s because of a $215,000 grant from the PA Small Water and Sewer Program.

Taliani anticipated bids will be advertised for that project soon. Sewer line work also is expected to occur on Crystal View Drive, near the township’s border with Tarentum.

East Deer received nearly $100,000 in federal funding for that work. Insight Pipe Contracting was awarded the project for $147,600. East Deer will pay about $49,500.

Other projects include demolitions along Clarks Pike Road, Meadow Avenue and Days Run Road.

The budget allocates a little over $272,000 to the Allegheny Valley Regional Police Department, which it shares with Springdale Township and Cheswick.