Middletown Approves Tax for Rt. 1, Rt. 452 Improvement Funding

Middletown Township Council unanimously approved a Local Service Tax ordinance at its Monday meeting. 

The majority of the money generated from this new tax will go toward traffic improvements at the heavily traveled, Route 1 and Route 452 intersection.

Middletown Township Vice Chair Mark Kirchgasser said that council believes the greatest problem impacting the township is the traffic congestion at that intersection, caused by increasing populations outside of the township. 

Because of that intersection, several other roadways and residents are consequently impacted throughout the township, he said.  

"We can not wait for the state," Kirchgasser said. "We would, no doubt, be in much worse condition in 10 to 12 years."

The tax will be an annual $42 flat tax, per person working in Middletown who earns more than $12,000 per year, Kirchgasser explained, it would not impact township taxpayers.

The tax will be generated by those working and commuting to the township, those who also generate more traffic. In Delaware County, 40 of the 49 municipalities currently implement a Local Service Tax. 

The tax could generate an estimated $400,000 annually, with 25 percent of the generated revenue ($100,000) going toward emergency services in the township and the remainder ($300,000) would go toward improvements at the congested intersection.

The 25 percent allocation to emergency services is required, Kirchgasser said.

How the intersection would be engineered to correct the congestion is not yet known, Kirchgasser said, but the funding is needed before any fix can be made. 

"I'm just here to tell you that we are going to get the funding in place to find that fix," he said. "The bigger question right now, is how to fund it. ...We believe this is the most appropriate way to begin to fix it."