If you’ve been checking your mail in Bethel Park lately, you probably noticed a slightly different number on your tax assessment. Honestly, it’s the talk of the town right now. While Bethel Park remains one of the most sought-after spots in the South Hills, the start of 2026 has brought some significant shifts in how the municipality is funding its future.
Whether it's the new faces on the council or the massive infrastructure projects finally breaking ground, there's a lot to keep track of. Basically, the "sleepy suburb" label doesn't really fit anymore.
The 2026 Budget: What Happened to the Millage?
Let's get into the weeds for a second because this affects your wallet. In late 2025, the Bethel Park Council adopted a budget that included a 0.6-mill increase in the real estate tax rate. This moved the needle from 3.19 to 3.79 mills.
When you add in the 0.34 mills specifically earmarked for fire protection, the total for this year sits at 4.13 mills.
What does that actually mean for you? If your home is assessed at $100,000, you're looking at about **$60 more per year**. It’s not a massive spike, but it's the first one in a while. Council President Joe Janosik and Vice President Kim Kamenicky—who both took their leadership roles during the January 5 reorganization meeting—have been pretty vocal about why this had to happen.
Trash removal contracts have gotten more expensive. Insurance premiums are up. It’s the same inflation everyone is feeling at the grocery store, just on a municipal scale.
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Why your assessment might still feel "off"
There is a weird quirk in the system called the Common Level Ratio. In Allegheny County, this ratio has dipped to 50.14%. This means if you buy a house for $200,000, the county might only "value" it at around $100,000 for tax purposes. It sounds great for homeowners, but it creates a massive revenue headache for the municipality, which is part of why the millage rate had to go up to compensate for those lower valuations.
Big Changes at Bethel Park School District
It is the end of an era for the Black Hawks. Dr. James Walsh is officially retiring as Superintendent at the end of the 2025–2026 school year. The Board of School Directors is already in the middle of a massive search for his successor.
They aren't just doing this behind closed doors, either.
The district has been running community surveys and public forums to see what parents actually want in a new leader. If you haven't filled one out yet, keep an eye on the ParentSquare app—it's become the primary way the district pushes out info now.
The New Elementary Center
The most visible bethel park pa news update is the construction progress on the new Bethel Park Elementary Center. It's slated to open this August. Because this school is going to change traffic patterns significantly, the municipality is currently upgrading the intersections at Route 88 and Kings School Road.
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The school district is actually reimbursing the municipality for the $480,000 cost of those traffic signals.
Infrastructure: More Than Just Potholes
If you drive through the intersection of Hamilton and Baptist roads, you know it’s a bottleneck. Relief is finally coming. A $1.55 million upgrade is underway, and about a million of that is being covered by a state PennDOT grant (the Automated Red Light Enforcement grant).
Then there’s the Piney Fork Interceptor Lining Project.
It's not glamorous.
It’s a sewer project.
But it’s a $650,000 investment to stop creek water from leaking into the sanitary system. If you like your basement dry and the local creeks clean, this is actually a pretty big deal.
Community Life and "The Best" Farmers Market
In case you missed the gala at the Hilton Garden Inn, the Bethel Park Farmers Market was recently named the #1 market in the region by the Observer-Reporter.
It’s heading into its 20th year in 2026.
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Sarah Komatsu, the coordinator, is already prepping for the season opener on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. They’re looking to add more vendors specifically for specialized diets, like gluten-free options. The market will still be at the South Park VIP lot near the ice rink, running every Tuesday from 3 to 7 p.m.
Local Events for the Rest of January
The library is usually the safest bet for finding something to do when the weather is gray and slushy.
- January 18: Adult Dungeons & Dragons (12 p.m.) and Lego Club for kids (2 p.m.).
- January 19: All municipal and county offices are closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
- January 20: Watercolor classes for kids and Scrabble Club for the adults.
- January 28: The Mid-Winter Jazz Concert at the High School Auditorium. It starts at 7 p.m. and features both IMS and BPHS students.
What You Should Do Next
To stay on top of these changes, you should verify your current property assessment through the Allegheny County Real Estate Portal to see how the 4.13 total millage rate affects your 2026 tax bill.
If you have kids in the district, make sure you've transitioned to the Focus School Software system, as the old eSchoolPlus platform is officially retired. For those interested in the future of the schools, attend the next Board of School Directors meeting to hear the latest updates on the Superintendent search.
Finally, if you're a local business owner or artisan, the waitlist for the 2026 Farmers Market is now open on the municipal website—spots for the 20th-anniversary season are expected to fill up faster than usual.