Property owners in Robinson Township will see an increase in their taxes for 2025, but township commissioners held the line on their own taxes when they adopted the annual budget last week.
The township’s $14.9 million spending plan, approved by a 4-0 vote – Commissioner Ken Kisow was absent – calls for no increase in the local real estate millage rate of 3.20.
Board of Commissioners Chairman Ron Shiwarski characterized the 2025 budget, which is a little less than 1% smaller than the 2024 budget, as “pretty much a status quo” budget. The budget calls for the same levels of service in all key areas – public safety, roads, parks and recreation – without any sort of a tax hike.
The county, meanwhile, passed a budget that includes a 1.7 millage, or a roughly 36% increase over the current rate.
“By us holding the line, that helps mitigate some of that burden,” Shiwarski said, referring to the county tax increase. “If you live in the county and your taxes are getting raised, or you live in a school district that might raise taxes, at least for the part we control, we haven’t raised taxes, we’re not cutting services and we’re continuing to improve all the amenities we provide.
“We think that our residents are getting a lot of bang for their buck.”
According to a memo to the board from township Manager Frank Piccolino, Robinson’s millage rate remains lower than 110 of the county’s 130 municipalities.
According to a memo to the board from township Manager Frank Piccolino, Robinson’s millage rate remains lower than 110 of the county’s 130 municipalities.
Piccolino said the median value for assessed property in the township is $147,400, and the owner of that property would pay an annual municipal real estate tax bill of $471.68. For 2024, the annual municipal real estate tax bill for the owner of that same property was $469.92.
“Robinson remains committed to bringing residents excellent value for their tax dollars,” Piccolino wrote. “And as the township grows, it’s working hard to match that growth with first-class public safety services, paved and plowed roads, three beautiful parks with state-of-the-art athletic fields, a swimming pool and many other public amenities.”
Approximately 47% of the township’s expenditures are earmarked for public safety services and about 35% are dedicated to improving and maintaining roads and parks facilities, including plowing and salt materials for the winter season.
The 2025 budget also maintains funding commitments for the township library and three volunteer fire departments – Forest Grove, Groveton and Moon Run – although funding for the library is 6.5% less for 2025 than it was in the current budget year.
Shiwarski said library funding is tied to a formula that was approved in a referendum years ago. It calls for 1/10th of 1% of the millage to go to the library. The current year’s library funding is $206,250; the 2025 figure is $192,750.
The township’s 2025 millage rate is based on the latest assessed value of about $1.9 billion, down from a little over $2 billion in 2025. Piccolino said the decrease in the new assessed value is due to “numerous property appeal reductions.”
Funding for the combined culture/recreation and parks amounts to $592,000 for 2025 – a 7% increase over the 2024 combined amounts of $553,750.
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