N. Annville Twp. proposes first-ever real estate tax to help fund fire company

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

North Annville Township supervisors on Monday released their preliminary 2026 budget, which includes the township’s first-ever real estate tax to be assessed.

North Annville Township is the only municipality in Lebanon County that currently does not have a millage rate, meaning the township’s budget is set primarily via earned income and real estate transfer taxes.

Under Fire Service Capital Fund, the account will receive $225,000 following the creation of a 1-mill real estate tax to help fund the North Annville Fire Company, which was formed on Jan. 1 with the merger of the Bellegrove and Union Water Works fire companies. Last December, company officials said they planned to purchase a new fire engine once they were operational and had the funds.

A large portion of the township’s disbursements for next year is contributions to the fire company, totaling $785,000 to help fund public safety and a fire service loan repayment of $228,500 for total expenditures of just over $1 million of an expected overall township total of $1.7 million.

The new tax revenue, interest, a capital equipment loan and an existing $220,000 in the fire service’s fund as of Jan. 1, 2026, will leave a balance of just over $1 million after expected receipts. Minus the expenditures, the township’s fire service fund is expected to be $20,000 at the close of the fiscal year on Dec. 31, 2026.

As previously reported by LebTown, the company is in the process of retiring and replacing old fire company equipment that is at least 25 years old.

Read More: Heated conversation at North Annville Twp. meeting over fire vehicle tax

North Annville Township budget presented

The projected budget that was presented via the first reading has an expected balance of $800,000 in the township’s general fund on Jan. 1, anticipated revenues of $570,770 next year, and expenditures totaling $544,032, leaving a Dec. 31, 2026, expected balance in the general fund of $826,738.

The beginning balance of all township funds totals $1.83 million with expected receipts for all funds of $1.55 million and disbursements totaling $1.70 million, leaving an end balance on Dec. 31, 2025, for all funds of $1.69 million.

The budget is open and available for public comment now through the next township meeting on Monday, Dec. 8, when it is expected to be adopted.

Board chairman Clyde Meyer opened the floor for public comment on the budget with no one in the crowd of about 25 attendees offering any statements following the first reading of the proposed budget.

Thru truck traffic ordinance passes

In other action, supervisors adopted a temporary ban for thru truck traffic on identified sections of Kauffman and Shanamantown roads until the Clear Spring Road bridge reopens. 

LebTown recently reported that the Norfolk Southern Railroad bridge is tentatively expected to reopen next spring or summer following infrastructure repairs. The bridge was closed May 7 after structural defects were found during a routine inspection by Wilson Consulting Group on behalf of the township.

Read More: Clear Spring Road in North Annville Township slated to reopen in 2026

Township solicitor Paul Bametzreider said the resolution is allowed since officials had previously enacted a detour for the closure of the bridge. The detour route runs on U.S. Route 422 to state Route 934.

“Without that detour plan, you’d have to do a traffic study and all kinds of other things,” said Bametzreider after a resident said four large tractor-trailers used Shanamantown Road recently as a detour. Bametzreider added the ordinance is effective immediately but not enforceable by law enforcement until signage is placed.   

North Annville Mobile Home Park owner Jestine Reider stated a concern over police enforcement on Shanamantown Road, adding that several of her residents had recently received traffic citations while using it. She called those citations a “negative impact on the community,” adding she thought it was the trucks that should be the focus of police enforcement and not local residents.  

During the police report, Cleona Police Chief Jeffrey Farneski said his force had run two traffic details on Shanamantown as part of a state grant and had issued 24 citations over a two-day period out of a total 36 citations throughout the township during the past month. 

Bametzreider said if an ordinance is adopted, it has to be enforced, adding that trucks will continue to use the road until citations are issued. That statement was in response to a question from Reider about ordinance enforcement of trucks on that road.

One resident said traffic enforcement has to be handled equally if people are also speeding. Reider said she wasn’t asking for special treatment for drivers, but said police should be developing a positive impact in the community and her concerns are focused on enforcement against trucks. 

Concerns were raised at the supervisors’ October meeting following an accident within the mobile home park in mid-September that damaged several trailers. A dump truck using Shanamantown Road crossed over the highway and hit several trailers in the middle of the night. In October, Reiser said those residents are refusing to return to their homes after being thrown in the air when the vehicle hit their homes.  

Zach Alger, who said his farm is located near Shanamantown Road, inquired if trucks traveling to his farm or ones he drives would be prohibited under the ban. 

Bametzreider said he can apply for an exemption through the township secretary for trucks that are making local deliveries. Alger wrote an email to LebTown on Tuesday to let his neighbors know he plans to use Shanamantown Road traveling eastbound only so his vehicle does not come down the hill towards the mobile homes.

A different resident asked about signs that prohibit trucks on Shanamantown Road, and township secretary Adam Wolfe said officials couldn’t locate a study that would allow those signs, which prohibit trucks except for local deliveries, to be posted on that road.

Wolfe added those are signs that “have no (enforcement) teeth to them” since no study can be found that allows law enforcement to cite violators. He noted the existing trucks prohibited signs except for local delivery would be removed in the near future since they are not enforceable.

Other township business

Township supervisors also unanimously voted to: 

• Authorize applying for a $140,000 Local Share Assessment (LSA) grant to apply for a new dump truck with a plow and salt spreader. 
• Apply for a $25,000 LSA grant for the North Annville Fire Company for the purchase and installation of a generator at the company in Bellegrove. 
• Agree to hire Wilson Consulting Group for engineering services to fix a fascia beam on a bridge on Cedar Run Road. The project’s contract calls for payment for “time and materials” with the firm receiving $110 an hour for services provided for this project. 
• Approve the Oct. 13 meeting minutes and treasurer’s report and approve monthly bills.
• Approve the John Miller stormwater plan following a review by the Lebanon County Planning Commission.

Lebanon County comprehensive plan forums

Near the end of the meeting, supervisors announced public forums for the Lebanon County comprehensive plan for this week. Supervisor Aaron Miller said the forums are the perfect opportunity for residents to express concerns about Clear Spring Road and that they should request traffic impact studies because this is an important issue and studies need to be done.

Read More: Public meetings for Lebanon County’s comprehensive plan to be held this week

Next meeting

The North Annville Township supervisors meet the second Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the Union Water Waters Social Hall, 2875 Water Works Way, Annville.