Pine Township Supervisors approve tax rebates for volunteer firefighters
PINE TWP., Mercer Co., Pa. - The Pine Township Board of Supervisors has unanimously decided to provide volunteer firefighters with tax rebates, according to Grove City Councilman and Volunteer Firefighter Jared Hoffman.
Pine Township, located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, has a volunteer fire department of its own, found on Facebook as the Pine Township Engine Company, Mercer County.
According to Hoffman, the rebates are done under Act 172 of 2016 and Act 91 of 2020 in Pennsylvania.
Act 172 of the Pennsylvania General Assembly outlines that municipalities can "enact a tax credit against an active volunteer's tax liability as a financial incentive."
Act 91 of the Pennsylvania General Assembly outlines a similar decision where tax rebates can be offered "in incentives for municipal volunteers of fire companies.... for real property tax credit."
The acts would allow municipalities, school boards and counties the option of providing volunteers of fire departments with tax rebates up to 100% of their real estate liability.
Ordinances that pass such tax rebates for volunteer firefighters, according to Hoffman, help bolster recruitment and retention in these volunteer fire departments.
The tax credits would be earned by volunteers, according to Hoffman.
Volunteers could earn points for emergency response, training, certifications, years of service and other varying responsibilities in order to earn a tax credit.
It is specified by Hoffman that 50% of those points must be earned through emergency response and trainings.
The ordinance permits up to a $250 earned income tax rebate and 100% of their real estate income tax liability.
Grove City Borough Council made a similar decision in April of 2025 to offer tax rebates to volunteer firefighters with the Grove City Volunteer Fire Department.
"We look to continue to carry this conversation with the surrounding communities out departments serve and ask they too follow what Pine Township and Grove City Borough have begun to put in place," said Hoffman.
Related Coverage
