Commissioners Approve Balanced Budget with No New Taxes for 2023

The Bucks County Commissioners this week approved the county’s $458 million operating budget for 2023.

Passed during Wednesday’s public meeting of the Board of Commissioners by a set of unanimous roll call votes, the budget balances the county’s finances for the coming year with no new or increased taxes, and reduces expenditures by 3.6 percent.

For the current administration of Commissioners Bob Harvie, Diane Ellis-Marseglia and Gene DiGirolamo, the passage of this budget marks the third year in a row without a tax increase.

Chief Financial Officer David Boscola speaking during the meeting thanked county employees who helped make the budget a reality, especially his finance staff who prepared the budget over four months. He also thanked the Commissioners and Chief Operating Officer Margie McKevitt for their support during the process.

Some three quarters of the funding budgeted for in 2023 is allocated to departments and divisions that provide social services, housing services, public health services and public safety.

“There’s a quote from President Biden that says, ‘Show me your budget and I’ll tell you what you value,’” Commissioner Chair Harvie said at Wednesday’s meeting. “I think this budget says a lot about what we value.”

Having begun 2022 with a General Fund balance of $43,240,400, the county is set to end this year with a balance of $51,675,000. The new budget projects the balance will be slightly higher at $51.8 million after forecasted 2023 expenditures and revenues.

The 2023 budget includes provisions for county departments serving Bucks County residents such as Area Agency on Aging (AAA), Behavioral Health/Developmental Programs, Board of Elections, Children & Youth Social Services Agency, Community Services, Corrections, Emergency Services, General Services, Health Department, Neshaminy Manor, Parks and Recreation and Military Affairs, among others.

The budget also provides for courts and nine elected ROW offices, including the Clerk of Courts, Controller, Coroner, District Attorney, Prothonotary, Recorder of Deeds, Register of Wills, Sheriff and Treasurer.

Click here to view the county’s final 2023 budget.