BY SARIT LASCHINSKY

Special to The Press

Upper Macungie Finance Director Bruce Koller provided a presentation on the township’s 2021 budget on Nov. 5, noting there will be no increase to residents’ real estate tax or sewer rate.

The tax rate will remain at 0.64 mills - compared to the Lehigh County tax rate of 3.64 mills and Parkland School District rate of 15.82 mills. The sewage fee will stay at $356.

Koller noted the annual refuse and recycling fee will increase by $7 to $295 for residents, as the township has changed its refuse/recycling contractor from Waste Management to Whitetail Disposal.

In the budget summary, Koller said revenues totaled $35,177,770 while expenditures were $34,488,471, for an excess of $689,299.

Breaking down the revenues and excesses, Koller reported the bulk of township revenues came from fees, permits and charges with around $12,356,000, followed by taxes at $10,698,200.

The largest portions of the township’s expenditures are for sewer, parks and recreation, the police department and public works which total 24.9 percent, 17.9 percent, 15.4 percent and 11.9 percent of the budget, respectively.

Koller said expenditures in the 2021 budget include the purchase of new vehicles for the police, fire department and public works, seed money for a community center, new radio equipment and renovations to the state police headquarters next door.