Delaware County residents are bracing for a substantial property tax increase after the county council decided to enact a 23% hike. The move, which drew a mixture of disapproval and resignation from the public, will see the average homeowner's tax bill go up by roughly $185 annually, as NBC Philadelphia reported. Council member Richard Womack was the lone dissenter in a vote that passed four to one, suggesting that an additional review by a budgetary commission might offer alternative solutions.

Despite the council's claim that the tax increase is necessary to cope with inflation and flat revenue sources, residents expressed their distress at the council meeting. One attendee argued, "No tax increase should be a priority ahead did the fact of us putting food on the table," as noted in an interview by NBC Philadelphia. Many fear that the hike will exacerbate the financial strain on families already struggling to meet basic needs.

However, supporters of the increase pointed to the county's need for a steady income to modernize facilities and address long-standing infrastructural deficits. "Delaware County was under-invested in for many years," said Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor, as reported by WHYY. The council underscored years of negligible or absent tax increments, compounded by inflation and elevated labor costs, as significant problems necessitating the current fiscal measures.

Officials are cognizant of the hardships this hike could impose on residents with fixed incomes but maintain that the budget cuts have already been implemented to the extent possible. Councilmember Kevin Madden conveyed, "I know it’s not popular with everyone. I get that," emphasizing a commitment to fiscal responsibility over popularity, according to WHYY.

To mitigate the tax burden, the council has announced the introduction of a Budget Commission and a real estate tax deferral program, which aims at offering relief to some affected residents, as NBC Philadelphia detailed. However, the immediate reaction reflected a mix of anger and disappointment, with one resident stating, "I really think that this county council doesn't look at what the residents need, they just constantly spend," as reported by CBS News.