Proposed 2027 State College Budget Includes Real Estate Tax Increase
State College Borough is poised to raise its property tax for a third consecutive year. The borough's proposed 2027 budget includes a three-mill tax increase, a 12% hike that would bring State College's total millage to 27.88 mills. The tax increase, which is one mill more than that implemented for 2026, is part of a $72.2 million fiscal plan presented on Friday afternoon as Borough Council began its weeks-long budget review. For a home with a present-day market value of $300,000 and no homestead exclusion, the increase would equal $147.54 for the year, while with the exclusion it would be $72.54. For a property with a $500,000 market without the homestead exclusion it would mean an additional $245.90, or $170.90 with the homestead exclusion. The increase would generate $1,821,063 in new recurring revenue for a borough budget that remains structurally unbalanced for the seventh consecutive year. The total proposed budget includes $72,249,482 in expenditures — which is only $12,742 more than the approved 2026 budget — with revenue of $62,357,539, about $1.8 million more than 2026. It uses $9,891,943 of fund balances, as is typical. Within the overall budget, the general fund budget, which more directly represents current expenses and
