NORRISTOWN, Pa. — The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners has voted to approve the 2025 Budget and 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Plan. The 2025 Budget prioritizes investments in housing, mental health and recovery efforts, major infrastructure projects, plus County staff, programs, and services. The budget also accounts for rising costs due to inflation, allowing the County to continue providing exceptional programs and services to a growing population while sustaining a stable financial position for the future.
“This budget truly prioritizes the people of Montgomery County—and especially our most vulnerable residents,” said Jamila H. Winder, chair, Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “We are investing in seasonal and year-round shelters and wraparound services for the unhoused, a first-of-its-kind emergency behavioral health facility, recovery and prevention efforts, and in the hardworking people that keep this County going. We are also making responsible decisions while leveraging external funding resources. This means we can keep serving our residents with high-quality programs and services and prepare for the continued growth of our County.”
“This budget reflects dynamic decision-making that allows the County to make major climate and infrastructure investments for the future, support existing programs and launch groundbreaking new initiatives, all while realizing $3 million in operational savings,” said Neil Makhija, Montgomery County Commissioner. “Our population is the highest in the four-county suburban area while our per capita tax burden and per capita expenditures are the lowest in comparison. With this budget, Montgomery County residents continue to get great value for money along with forward-thinking projects and development for our communities.”
The budget reflects a 5.642 millage rate, adding approximately $28.8 million in revenue to the General Fund. This includes an increase of 0.464 mills, or approximately $79 per County household per year. Real Estate taxes are projected to fund 54.1% of County revenue, with more than a third estimated to come from Federal and State Grants, and the remainder coming from departmental earnings. The County will also plan an $8.1 million drawdown of its assigned fund balance for new debt service expenses.
Key highlights outlined in the 2025 Budget and Capital Improvement Plan include:
- $205 million in capital funding towards upgrading the County’s roads, bridges, parks, trails, and other facilities. As the County continues to complete its backlog of repairing deficient bridges, eight new bridges will begin construction in 2025. Funding will continue progress on the major Ridge Pike Improvement Project which is expected to be complete by the end of the decade.
- $18 million from state and federal funding to establish a new Emergency Behavioral Health Crisis Center providing crisis intervention and emergency mental health support to residents.
- Investments in critical shelter services, including increased seasonal shelter operations that philanthropic and operational partnerships, and the opening of a new year-round shelter in Lansdale
- An increase in the County’s SEPTA Capital Share
- Investments in additional staffing in a number of critical areas including Public Safety and justice. This includes personnel in the District Attorney’s Office’s newly established Threat Assessment Unit and the Public Defender’s Office to reduce public defender caseloads.
- Over $3 million in savings due to operational cost reductions in contracted services, utilities, equipment, supplies, and travel and training expenses.
At the meeting, the Board of Commissioners considered three resolutions for the 2025 budget. The first resolution, a motion to pass the real estate tax millage rate to fund County operations, passed by a vote of 2-1, with Commissioners Winder and Makhija in favor and Commissioner Thomas DiBello opposed. The second and third resolutions, which were motions to approve County operations in non-general fund expenditures and capital projects, passed by a unanimous vote.
To review the adopted 2025 Budget visit: https://www.montgomerycountypa.gov/4215/Proposed-and-Adopted-Budgets.
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