By Josh McKnight | The McKnight Team
Lower Makefield Township’s chief financial officer, Mega Bhandary, gave township supervisors a hard number this month. The general fund faces a $469,000 deficit this year. The projections show it growing to $1.91 million in 2027 and $7.37 million by 2028.
Lower Makefield property taxes sit at the center of any fix. The township millage is 13.88 mills, just under its 14 mill cap, which leaves little room to raise revenue.
How the Deficit Got This Big
For years, the township covered the gap by moving money. Since 2020, the general fund has taken $14.9 million from other funds. Bhandary told supervisors that approach is not sustainable. The transfers bought time. They did not fix the structure.
Without those transfers, the operating fund would have ended the year $2.95 million in the red. Wages, benefits, insurance and contracted services drive most of that. The golf and park and recreation funds are in the black, but the pool fund is running a deficit. Amusement tax revenue tied to Shady Brook Farm visitors has also come in short.
The savings cushion is thin. The general fund holds about 1.7 months of reserves, below the two month level recommended by the Government Finance Association. Staff has trimmed $212,000 in costs so far.
What the Deficit Actually Means for Lower Makefield Property Taxes
The obvious fix is a tax increase. The math says it will not be enough on its own.
Township Manager David Kratzer noted that court approval could raise the rate to 19 mills. That would be a 36.9% increase over today’s 13.88 mills, and it still would not close the gap. Kratzer tied the problem partly to Bucks County not reassessing property values since 1972.
Set that against what the numbers show right now. The typical home value in Yardley, the postal area that covers much of Lower Makefield, is $701,097, up 4.1% over the past year, per Zillow data through August 31, 2026. The July median sale price was $591,333, and 58.3% of sales closed over list price. Homes went to pending in a median of about six days, with 60 homes for sale at the end of August.
Strong values. Strained budget. Both at once.
Why a 1972 Assessment Base Matters to You
Bucks County taxes are still based on property values set in 1972. Millage is applied to those old assessments, not to today’s market prices. That keeps each mill small, and it is part of why a township can run out of room under a cap even when home values keep climbing. For buyers moving in from outside Bucks County, this can be confusing, because the tax bill has little connection to the price you pay today.
For owners, the risk is not one big jump. It is steady pressure, whether through higher millage, a court approved increase or reduced services. Buyers will weigh the township budget story alongside the tax bill, and some will ask about it directly.
Reasonable people land differently on what comes next. Some see a township that must raise taxes. Others see room for cuts first. Either way, the 2027 budget talks will set the direction of Lower Makefield property taxes, and the decisions made this winter will show up on your bill.
If you know a Lower Makefield homeowner who has not followed the budget meetings, send them this.
What This Means for You
If you are selling, the market is still on your side, with more than half of July sales closing over list. Know your current tax bill and be ready for buyers to ask about future increases. If you are buying, plan your budget around higher taxes than the current bill shows, and follow the township’s 2027 budget process before you commit. Your lender can run your payment at a higher rate so you see the real number.
Lower Makefield and Yardley move together as one market. The Yardley community guide covers both. We can help you weigh a strong local market against a township budget that is under pressure.
Thinking about buying or selling in Lower Makefield? Let’s talk.
