Final Forum on Tax Referendum is Tuesday

If you have questions or comments about a referendum question on the Nov. 5 ballot that would shift a local school tax, then mark your calendar for Tuesday.

That's when the second and final forum about a November referendum that would eliminate the occupation assessment tax and replace it with an increase in the earned income tax will be held. The forum begins at 7 p.m. at Newtown Middle School, 116 Richboro Newtown Rd.

If Council Rock voters approve the measure, the earned income tax will increase from 1 percent to 1.17 percent.  Municipalities and the district currently split the earned income tax. 

Council Rock is the only school district in Bucks County that still has an occupation assessment tax, according to board member Bill Foster, a member of the district’s Finance Committee.

The occupation assessment tax, which is $40 to $320 per resident depending on their occupation, is outdated and a nuisance to collect, Foster has told Patch.

However, some residents oppose the tax, saying it will increase the tax burden, particularly over time.

The proposed 0.17 increase in the school district’s portion of the earned income tax is based on comparison of 2009 levels of occupation and earned income taxes, according to Robert Reinhart, the district’s business administrator.

The district has an information page on the website regarding the referendum.