Property taxes in Schuylkill Township are going up, but not by as much as originally thought.

At their weekly meeting Wednesday morning, the county commissioners approved an $87,408,843 budget for 2025 that calls for a 3.25-mill tax increase.

The increase in the tentative budget approved last month called for a 3.5 mill increase.

Based on $100,000 of assessed property valuation, taxes will rise $325 a year, instead of $350.

But Commissioners Chairman Larry Padora said the commissioners managed to find another $600,000 to cut from the spending plan.

“We found $600,000, by cutting a little here and there throughout the budget,” Padora said. “All I ever think about is the budget. I don’t want to pay more taxes like anybody else. We will keep looking throughout the year to reduce expenses.”

The budget lists $87,408,843 in expenses, and $81,203,310 in income. The $6,125,533 difference will be made up by the tax hike, plus $2,079,671 from a reserve.

The new millage rate is 19.23 mills, 18.03 mills for general expenses and 0.60 of a mill for debt service.

The budget deficit was originally $13.5 million, but was cut to the $6 million figure, a little more than 50%.

The major culprits in the budget deficit are an 11.8% increase in health care for county employees amounting to $2,133,722, and a change in the state formula to fund 9-1-1, which is now 100% the county’s responsibility.

Since the county is in the midst of a property tax reassessment that will take effect in 2026, a tax hike had to be done in 2025.

In other action taken Wednesday, the commissioners voted to enter into a contract with Elite Revenue Services for the collection of delinquent county real estate taxes beginning Jan. 1.

The commissioners also voted to enter into a contract with Paul Buber, the county’s retiring finance director, to provide financial oversight for the county while the commissioners find his successor.

Buber will be paid $90 per hour until the end of the year, and then other arrangements will be made for 2025, said County Administrator Gary Bender.