Swarthmore Borough is tabling a proposal to implement a 1% earned income tax (EIT) after Swarthmore College stepped up to cover a funding gap left by the closure of Crozer-Chester Medical Center. Under a memorandum of understanding passed by Swarthmore Borough, the college will contribute $638,000 to the borough to help cover rising emergency service costs. Rob Goldberg, Swarthmore College’s vice president for finance and administration, said the school is happy to help avoid a new tax being imposed on college employees and that the school values its partnership with the borough. Cindy MacLeod, chair of the borough council finance committee, said the borough’s financial outlook is starkly different this year after the loss of Crozer’s ambulance services increased the borough’s costs and brought down its revenue. Preliminary estimates suggest the borough’s public safety costs are set to increase next year from $3.1 million to $4.3 million. The borough also faces steep fire equipment repair costs and a drop in the number of volunteer firefighters. Though the EIT is off the table, the borough is considering implementing an emergency services tax, a property tax that would be earmarked just for emergency services.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 10/16/2025