Cranberry Township’s 2026 budget was approved by the Board of Supervisors on December 11 and utilizes innovative funding strategies and careful planning to enhance and expand the level of services in both the short and long term without an increase to General Fund tax millage.
The fiscally responsible budget coincides with a recent Moody’s Aaa bond rating, reflecting the Township’s robust financial position. The Township is one of only 14 municipalities in Pennsylvania—and the only one in Western Pennsylvania—to achieve an Aaa rating.
The $109,533,744 budget focuses on preserving and enhancing the community's identity, character, and livability while ensuring that high-quality services meeting current and future needs are delivered seamlessly. This includes an ever-increasing demand on assets and infrastructure, which continue to age and require constant attention. It also includes a focus on police, fire, and emergency services; park and facility maintenance; infrastructure maintenance through the Public Works Department; and the Township Library.
To ensure the Township remains situated to maintain and expand these resources, the 2026 budget includes the creation of a new fund: the Recreational Investment Fund. The fund will be supported by a new 2.5 mil levy designed to reinvest in the Township’s parks, recreational facilities, trails, greenways, and open space. This equates to less than $60 per year for the average household in the Township to fund parks and recreation offerings.
Current planned recreation investments include improvements to the baseball and soccer turf fields to expand capacity, as well as upgrades to equipment, irrigation, and planting at Powell Farm. Additionally, solar lighting will be installed at the UPMC Passavant Sportsplex at Graham Park, enhancing accessibility and extending program opportunities. Ongoing recreational improvements include the addition of two new multipurpose recreation fields at Community Park North and the installation of fitness courts at Graham Park.
These items, along with several others, were outlined in the Greenways and Open Space Plan, adopted in 2025, and the Recreation, Park, and Open Space Plan, adopted in 2024.
Other budget highlights include:
- An expanded paving program allocating $2.5 million - $1 million than in 2025.
- Continued improvements at the Brandt Drive intersection to improve safety and mobility.
- A study of the Coal Run watershed, as well as other stormwater improvements to protect property and water quality.
- The continuation of the Missing Links Sidewalk Program, providing more pedestrian connections.
- Upgrades to the Brush Creek Water Pollution Control Facility’s solids handling process.
- Improvements to the Franklin Acres Pump Station
- Phase 1 of the Route 19 Waterline Replacement Project.
- Continued support for the Township’s Police, Fire, and EMS providers.