York County residents to see rise in real estate taxes for the first time in 9 years following approval of new budget

YORK COUNTY – The York County Board of Supervisors approved a $291.6 million budget on Wednesday that increases the real estate tax rate for the first time in nine years.

The fiscal year 2026 budget raises the real estate property tax rate to 78 cents per $100 in assessed value, an increase of 4 cents.

Personal property tax rates will also increase by 20 cents to $4 per $100 in assessed value.

The budget was approved by a vote of 4-1, with only Supervisor Wayne Drewery voting against it.

The supervisors said that while it was difficult for them to move forward with the proposed tax increase, it was necessary amid the strain of inflation.

The plan includes increased support for York County Public Schools, the addition of five deputy positions and funding for a capital improvement project at Tabb High School.

County employees will also receive a 4% pay increase and one-time $500 bonus, totaling $2.5 million, in an effort to retain employees and offset higher costs of living.

Mark Bellamy, the county administrator, said in a statement that the budget was challenging this year due to “minimal revenue growth, sustained cost increases driven by inflation and ongoing uncertainty at the federal level.”

Changes in tariffs and federal spending further intensified pressure on the local budget process, according to Bellamy.

“Given our region’s high concentration of federal employees, potential economic impacts are a significant concern,” Bellamy said.

Supervisor Doug Holroyd said the board should be proud of the work they did on the budget.

“If I step back and just look at the obligatory costs that you’ve described, if I look at just the basic cost of living increase for staff, including the schools, and added all that money up, it’s a four and a half cent budget,” Holroyd said. “We came in at four. We did our job.”

Supervisor Stephen Roane agreed.

“We are as narrow as we can be here with the budget as proposed,” said Roane. “We’ve cut 15 million plus dollars out of the budget this year.”

A county news release said the budget will provide funding to support “infrastructure upgrades, regional partnerships and essential services that contribute to the quality of life for all York County residents.”

For additional information about the FY2026 budget, visit yorkcounty.gov/budget.