Tulpehocken Eyes Street Light Tax Hike; Mohnton Fills Seat

Three Berks County governments meet tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 11, and the only tax increase on any of their agendas belongs to Tulpehocken Township, whose supervisors will "Discuss possible increase to Street Light Tax effective for 2027 Tax Year" at a 5:30 p.m. budget special, where they also vote on advertising a 2027 budget that is not posted, before their 7 p.m. regular meeting. Lower Alsace Township returns to its 2027 budget draft at 6:30 p.m. and takes up an animal control contract, a tax break for volunteer firefighters and county radio purchases. Mohnton Borough Council, at 7 p.m., is set to appoint a new member to its open seat, a week after a tax vote whose outcome is still not public.

Upper Tulpehocken, a separate township, met Tuesday.

Tulpehocken: a 75-cent street light tax, and a hike with no number

The township's budget agenda lists the street light discussion as the one named item under "Review 2027 Preliminary Budgets," followed by a motion "to advertise that the 2027 Proposed Budget is available for public inspection and will come before the Board for adoption at the December 9, 2026 meeting at 7 P.M." The regular agenda repeats the item under new business as "Street Light Tax rate – possible increase for 2027 Tax Year," and lists the "2027 Municipal Tax Sheet – confirm rates, motion to sign and return to County Treasurer Office."

The street light tax is not a millage. It is a front-foot assessment: a yearly charge on each property served by a township street light, figured by multiplying the property's road frontage in feet by a set rate. Resolution 2021-15, the 2022 levy on the township's ordinances page, sets a "Tax rate for the assessment of Street Light usage in the villages of Rehrersburg and Mt. Aetna, at the rate of $.75 for each front foot of property that is serviced by the coverage of such Street Light on each property." Resolution 2020-15 cites Section 2003 of the Second Class Township Code, which lets supervisors pay for street lighting "through uniform annual assessments made upon benefitted properties on a foot-front basis," and added "the properties in Phase 1 of the Mountain Meadows development" at the same $0.75 (p. 1); Resolution 2017-5 carries the parcel list. Resolution 2023-08 added "the properties on Chloe Drive in Village Estates," per the Dec. 13, 2023 minutes (p. 2). At that rate, a lot with 100 feet of lit frontage pays $75 a year.

The rate has not moved in any posted December levy since: "$.75 for each front foot" for 2023 (Dec. 14, 2022 minutes, p. 2), taxes "to remain the same; no changes are proposed" for 2024 and 2025 (Dec. 13, 2023 minutes, p. 1; Dec. 11, 2024 minutes, p. 1), and for 2026 a levy that added "a 0.8 Fire Tax and a 0.5 Ambulance Tax; all other taxes remain the same" (Dec. 10, 2025 minutes, p. 1). What is not posted is the size of the increase. Resolution 2020-15 says the rate "may be amended by Resolution of the Board of Supervisors of Tulpehocken Township as part of its annual Tax Levy Resolution or as otherwise opined by the Board to be in the best interest of the Township" (p. 2). The board has adopted that levy alongside its budget each December, and this year's budget adoption is proposed for Dec. 9; both of tonight's agendas list the item as a discussion, with no motion. The fund's position is on the record: the Sept. 16 budget minutes say "The Street Light Fund was reviewed. It was noted that the revenue is equal to the utility bills coming in; there are no surplus funds remaining in the account" (p. 1).

The budget itself is unposted. The Sept. 16 minutes record discussion of raising the library donation, "Police radio, Fire Company radio, Ambulance radio, electric, fuel and insurance costs" and "the rate to charge for Police Services," which Marion Township buys, per our Marion preview; the Oct. 14 agenda listed "2027 Rates for Police Services." The minutes also record discussion of transferring $30,000 from the Sewer Service Prime Account "to help pay 2026 invoices" (p. 1). Minutes of the Oct. 14 preliminary budget meeting, up for approval tonight, are not on the minutes page, which ends at Sept. 16.

The 7 p.m. meeting opens with a hearing on Ordinance 2026-2, which the township's published notice summarizes as "authorizing execution of a cable franchise agreement between the township and Comcast of New Mexico/Pennsylvania, LLC." The agreement's terms, including any franchise fee, are not posted.

Also on the agenda: a Zoning Hearing Board application from The Broadway Group LLC for a "dimensional variance" to reduce required off-street parking "for a proposed Dollar General Store" at part of 7635 Lancaster Avenue, with the hearing set for Nov. 19 at 7 p.m., per the ZHB notice, and an "Email from PA DEP regarding two proposed sites in Tulpehocken Township to receive land application of biosolids," with no sites named.

Both meetings are at the municipal building, 22 Rehrersburg Road, Rehrersburg, per the township's special meeting notice and homepage, which lists the office at (717) 933-5747.

Lower Alsace: budget draft, firefighter tax break, county radios

Lower Alsace's supervisors meet at 6:30 p.m. at the municipal building, 1200 Carsonia Ave., per the agenda, posted Tuesday. Under the treasurer's report it lists "Discussion on the first draft of the 2027 Lower Alsace Township Budget," the same words the Oct. 14 agenda used, as our October preview reported. No draft, total or tax rate is posted, and the township's meetings page links no minutes for 2025 or 2026.

New business carries, for the third straight agenda, "Discussion of a proposal to create a tax incentive for volunteer fire personnel for calendar year 2027. To be discussed as part of the budget process." Pennsylvania's Act 172 of 2016 lets a municipality credit active volunteers against earned income tax or the property tax on their homes.

The board will "Review and approve the agreement with Lost and Found Animal Control Services LLC for animal control services," an item carried over word for word from the Oct. 14 agenda, with no price or term listed. New this month is a "Discussion on county radio purchases for first responders and discussion on financing option requested by Mount Penn Borough." The agenda does not describe the option or a cost. The office answers at 610-779-6400, per the homepage.

Mohnton: a new council member, and a tax vote with no record

Mohnton's agenda, posted Tuesday, lists "Applicants for Council open seat" as its guests and, under new business, a "Motion to appoint new Council member to open seat," the timeline our Nov. 4 preview laid out. The agenda lists the mayor's report under Jerry Boughton, whose resignation from council was on the Oct. 14 agenda, as our October preview reported. No posted minutes record how Boughton became mayor.

Last week's agenda carried a "Motion to increase taxes for 2027 and authorize advertisement of the Ordinance approving the same," with no rate. Tonight's agenda has no tax or budget motion, only a "Motion to accept minutes of November 4, 2026 Special Meeting," and those minutes are not posted; the agenda and minutes page still ends at Sept. 9. Whether council voted to raise the borough's rate of about 7.2 mills, listed in the county's 2026 tax table, and by how much, is not on the record.

The engineer's report asks council to "approve the LSA Grant resolution for Fern Main Street Project," for the Local Share Account application due Nov. 30; the engineer sets an internal deadline of Nov. 25. The Oct. 14 agenda had set this up as a choice between those culverts, at $1 million with a $580,849 borough share, and a fire company ladder truck; tonight's agenda names only the culverts and no amount. On sewers, the report reads: "Northridge Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation: $419,666 was awarded to rehabilitate sanitary sewer mains, manholes, and laterals in the Northridge neighborhoods." Work is expected in 2027, the grant expires in 2029, and the report does not name the funder.

The agenda lists no location; Borough Hall is at 21 N. O'Neil St., per the homepage, which lists the meeting on its calendar. The office answers at (610) 775-0660.

What happens next

Tulpehocken's budget adoption is proposed for Dec. 9 at 7 p.m., when the board has adopted its tax levy in each of the last five Decembers; the Dollar General variance goes to the Zoning Hearing Board Nov. 19. Lower Alsace meets again Dec. 9. Mohnton's LSA application is due Nov. 30. Our guide covers finding any Berks meeting schedule.