Highlights of the 2011 City of Chester Budget

The City’s preliminary 2011 budget includes TAX DECREASES in Resident and Non-Resident Earned Income Taxes.  The tax rates for each category follows:

Resident Earned Income Tax Rate  
   2.15% 2.25% (FY 2011 / FY 2010)

Non-Resident Earned Income Tax Rate  
  1.15% 1.25%

The City’s following tax rates and subsequent burden on taxpayers have decreased significantly since their highs in 1996:

Resident Earned Income Tax Rate  
  2.15% 3.0% 28% (FY 2011/ FY 1996 / Decrease)

Non-Resident Earned Income Tax Rate  
  1.15% 2.0% 43%

Non-resident EIT required to be reduced to 1.0% under Commonwealth’s requirement to emerge from Act 47 status.

The City has once again held the line on real estate taxes with the millage remaining at 29.792.  The City has held the same real estate tax rate for 16 CONSECUTIVE YEARS.

The 2011 budget increases funding to the J. Lewis Crozer Library by 50% to $157,500.  This is the second 50% increase in as many years.

FY 2011 departmental expenditures decreased by 1% to $40,375,651 when compared to the FY 2010 budget.

Total FY 2011 general fund expenditures total $41,631,586, which includes transfers to the capital improvement fund, reserve fund, and special revenue fund.