Budget surplus results in $68 checks for thousands in town

A Pennsylvania township with more money than it anticipated from increased property tax collection has decided to give the dividends to residents.

Middletown Township in Langhorne sent 14,361 checks for $68 each to all owners of properties with structures on them.

Efforts to keep town expenses down while increasing delinquent-tax collection led to more money than anticipated in the general fund. The township board of supervisors decided to divide a $1 million portion of the surplus evenly among property owners.

Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Amy Strouse tells the Bucks County Courier Times it's irresponsible for a township to hang on to that level of funding when it has "the opportunity to help people out a little bit."

Strouse says residents feel as though they pay too much in taxes.