Taxes
Residents living in Ben Avon typically pay both real estate (if you own a home or property) and earned income taxes (what you pay if you are employed). Residents are typically responsible for their utilities.
Real estate taxes cover local (Ben Avon), school (Avonworth) and Allegheny County. Each taxing body sets a millage rate each year and you are then sent three tax bills (or your mortgage company is sent the tax bills). The local (Ben Avon) and school (Avonworth) taxes are collected by an elected real estate tax collection (Terrie Patsch, Borough Secretary, and Jordan Tax Service). The Allegheny County taxes are collected by the County Treasurer's Office (412) 350-4120. Jordan Tax Service is Ben Avon’s delinquent real estate tax collector.
Local earned income tax, which is charged by the majority of local communities in Pennsylvania, is currently 1%. It is collected by Keystone Collections Group.
Real Estate Tax Collector
Jordan Tax Service
Telephone: 412-835-5243
Earned Income Tax Collector
Keystone Collections Group
Telephone: 724-978-0300
Delinquent Borough Real Estate Taxes and Delinquent Sewage Accounts
Utilities
Each household pays for a number of utilities. These normally include:
- Electric: Duquesne Light
- Gas: Columbia Gas
- Telephone: often Verizon or Comcast
- Water: West View Water Authority
- Sewage: Alcosan, which stands for Allegheny County Sanitary Authority
- Garbage and Recycling Collection: Waste Management
Water and sewage bills are based on the amount of water used. When private property owners fail to pay their Alcosan bills, the Borough pays Alcosan and then collect the delinquent charges from the property owners. For the collection of delinquent sewage charges, Ben Avon has contracted with Jordan Tax Service. Delinquent sewage invoices are based on information supplied by Alcosan plus additional charges.
Trash & Recycling
Trash Collection:
Normal trash collection is weekly on Wednesday. Trash should be placed at the curb no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before pickup.
If a holiday (New Years Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas) falls on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, trash/recycle pickup will be moved to Thursday.
As part of WM’s trash collection service, they will pick up a variety of special materials not accepted in the standard pickup, including paint products, automotive batteries, televisions, household chemicals and more. A special pickup MUST be scheduled, and can be done by calling 1-800-449-7587, by email at AtYourDoor [at] WM.com, or online at Waste Management at your Door website.
You can visit the Waste Management website or call at 1-800-866-4460.
Recycling Collection:
Recyclable Collection is every other Wednesday. See the borough calendar for dates. Waste management currently accepts paper, food & beverage cans, plastic bottles, jars & jugs (labeled #1 & #2 plastic), flattened cardboard & paperboard.
However, due to global changes in the recycling industry, WM has made some recycling changes for 2020 including:
- No plastic bags of any kind will be accepted. Please place material loose in your recycling bin or cart.
- Make sure you are only recycling plastic bottles, jugs & jars. Any other plastic shape must go in the trash.
- Glass is no longer accepted for recycling (see next section). Glass runs hard on the machines and can contaminate other good recyclables.
- Containers that held food should be rinsed free of food debris and liquid.
- Shredded paper is no longer accepted.
To learn more, visit RecycleOftenRecycleRight.com.
Glass Recycling:
Even though Waste Management no longer collects glass with its recycling collections, it is still a highly valuable and recyclable commodity. For more information and local resources, go to the PRC’s recycling information page. Permanent glass recycling center information can be found under the Permanent Glass Collections Sites tab.
Leaf Collection:
Leaf collection begins in mid to late October and continues through the end of November. Residents are asked to rake leaves to the curb. No twigs, branches, mulched material, grass or other debris will be collected. A final pass will be made on each street the last week of November. Due to safety concerns there is no leaf collection on Ohio River Blvd.
Once a street has been collected for the last time, residents are asked not to place any additional leaves at the curbside. Leaves can be bagged for disposal during weekly refuse collection or alternative options to leaf collection may be found through the Allegheny County Conservation District Blog page. “Using leaves as a resource rather than spending energy to haul them away will serve as a benefit to your wallet, your yard and the environment.”
Snow and Ice Removal
Residents are required to keep sidewalks clear of all snow and ice. Ordinance No. 666 requires that all sidewalks must be maintained free from accumulations of snow and ice and prohibits the disposal of snow from sidewalks into public streets of the Borough. The tenant, occupant or owner of all properties in the Borough must remove snow and ice from sidewalks within twenty-four hours after the end of the weather event.
Control of Domestic Animals
For the benefit of all residents of Ben Avon, human or otherwise, please be advised of Ben Avon Ordinance #687, “Control of Domestic Pets and Animals”. This ordinance defines permitted animals within Ben Avon as well as details on managing pets within public and private properties including leash or other restraints, animal waste disposal and animal noise nuisance.
Caring for Our Community’s Watershed
Every year the snow melts, the rain falls, and the water that runs off your yard carries fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides into our creeks, streams, and rivers. These pollutants can harm fish, wildlife, and vegetation and even compromise the rivers that are our major source of drinking water. Learn how you can do your part to protect your loved ones drinking water in this Homeowners Guide to Stormwater BMP Maintenance and this Homeowner’s Guide to Protecting Our Watershed.
Dye Test
When you buy or sell your property in Ben Avon, a dye test is required to ensure that your downspouts are not connected to the sanitary sewer. A master plumber must complete the Dye Test Form certifying this to be true.
Solicitation
While solicitation is permitted for the political purposes, the solicitation of contributions and the selling, purchasing or soliciting the sale or purchase of goods and services from house to house and on the public streets of the Borough without a Borough license is prohibited. For the safety of all residents, please contact the police department immediately if you are approached by an unlicensed solicitor.