WEST CHESTER EVENING NEWS — Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Good evening, West Chester. Sunshine carried the borough through a cool fall afternoon, with temperatures around 61 degrees at the time of our late-afternoon weather check. Tonight’s forecast calls for a low near 40. Wednesday should bring more sunshine and a high around 67.

Our evening roundup begins on West Gay Street, where a streetlight outage alert deserves attention as darkness approaches. The borough’s October 1 notice reported that lights on the 200 block had been out for several days and said PECO was aware of the problem. During our check for this edition, the notice remained posted without confirmation that service had been restored. Conditions on the street still need to be verified.

From streetlights, attention turns to Borough Hall and a proposal that could change what property owners pay next year.

The proposed 2027 budget includes a 1.02-mill property tax increase expected to generate $785,260 for stormwater debt payments, maintenance and capital improvements as the borough moves away from its Stream Protection Fee. This remains a budget proposal, not a finally adopted tax increase. The borough’s published schedule calls for preliminary budget approval on October 21 and a budget hearing on November 18.

The effect on each property’s total bill is the detail to watch. According to borough estimates, roughly two-thirds of properties would see some reduction in their total annual borough bill between 2026 and 2027, while the remaining third would pay more. A higher property tax rate would not necessarily mean a higher combined bill once the separate stormwater fee is removed. The proposed impact depends on the property.

Tomorrow’s municipal calendar brings another neighborhood issue into focus: trees.

The Tree Commission is scheduled to meet Wednesday, October 7, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 401 East Gay Street. The location is listed as accessible to people with disabilities. A link to the meeting documents is available, but the agenda’s contents could not be reviewed for this edition. Specific addresses, applications and anticipated decisions therefore remain unconfirmed.

As noted in our noon briefing, the borough offers a program through which property owners may request a free street tree. The commission also reviews pruning and removal requests. Those established services provide context for coverage; they are not confirmed agenda items for Wednesday.

For residents, the practical questions include how long requests take, how potentially hazardous trees are evaluated, what costs remain with property owners and how tree work is coordinated with sidewalks, parking and traffic.

The evening’s sports schedule takes us beyond the borough. West Chester University’s women’s volleyball team was scheduled to face Shepherd at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The Golden Rams entered the matchup with an 8–10 overall record. No result is included in this edition.

Looking ahead to Wednesday, West Chester’s women’s soccer team, ranked No. 17 nationally, is scheduled to visit Millersville for a 7 p.m. kickoff. In its Tuesday afternoon preview, the university reported that the Golden Rams would seek to extend their three-game winning streak.

Street lighting, household bills, neighborhood trees and college sports shape tonight’s roundup, with the next municipal meeting scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Good evening, West Chester.