Bethlehem finished 2009 with a negative cash balance of $8.5 million, thanks in large part to a $5 million deficit. In addition to painting this gloomy financial picture, independent auditor Tracey Rash has raised a number of "significant deficiencies" peculiar to Bethlehem. This includes a nasty habit of dipping into the EIT fund and spending tax money collected for other municipalities. Last year, the Christmas City "borrowed" from that account twice. It's a practice that goes all the way back to 1974.Hanover Township would prefer to take a pass at being an involuntary Bethlehem creditor. On August 23, Hanover Manager Jay Finnigan asked Bethlehem Business Administrator Dennis Reichard to provide "an accounting of all Earned Income Tax records for funds owed to Hanover Township for 2008, 2009 and 2010 YTD." He also wants a copy of the "just released 2009 City Audit Report."
To be on the safe side, Finnigan even completed and furnished a Right-to-Know request.
Finnegan, Angles old campaign manager. Tthe Supervisor with no experience who was made Twp. Manager by his buddies.
ReplyDeleteYeah the credibility is palpable.
finnegan is a political hack from way back.
ReplyDeleteWe're sorry, those records do not exist. And we are under no obligation to provide non-existent records.
ReplyDeleteBut, we'll keep looking for them anyway.
Love,
CC
Yeah, that political hack Finnigan must really be a jerk, trying to collect money owed his township.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you should check out the fact that numerous former Supervisor's and Councilor’s have been appointed Managers in their municipality and it’s a growing and successful trend. Your so called political hacks are great executives.
ReplyDeleteIsn't Allentown planning on spending millions is unclaimed EIT money to bridge budget shortfalls? If they can collect this money from an employee’s paycheck, you mean to tell me they cannot determine where the tax is due?
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly is unclaimed EIT tax. Are these funds other municipalities have not specifically asked for a particular resident or are they funds for which they cannot identify the residency of an employee.
supervisor's and councilor's what?
ReplyDeleteA popular Italian restaurant in Bethlehem Twp:
Two large pizza's $16.99.
Incorrect usage of the apostrophe is spreading like the plague!
Perhaps you should check out the fact that numerous former Supervisors and Councilors have been appointed Managers in their municipality and it’s a growing and successful trend. Your so called political hacks are great executives.
ReplyDeleteLet me help them be correct.
You assume that HT is owed EIT monies. Maye, but maybe not. This has more to do with the budget situation in HT and the structural deficit they have been running for years.
ReplyDeleteIn 2005 HT started taking the $52 emergency services tax from employees who work in the township. This includes college students and senior citizens who work at places like Wegmans. This did nothing to close the budget gap.
In 2007 (maybe 2006) HT "lowered" the tax rate by pulling out the expense of trash collection from tax bills and having them sent directly to homeowners. While the average homeowner saw an approx. $75 "tax cut," they received a $300 bill from JP Mascaro to pick up their trash based on the contract signed by HT. As a homeowner you could not shop for a better deal.
While the average homeowner saw a 50% increase in expenses (tax bill + garbage collection cost), the smaller, older houses that are typically owned by senior citizens on a fixed income, saw a much higher increase in their expenses (more like a doubling), as their local tax bill was much lower than the McMansions built all over the township.
So the instead of being a stand up group and telling the people of Hanover Township that they were spending down the cash reserves and would need to raise taxes, the manager and board of supervisors closed the budget gap by placing a burden on everyone, by specifically a larger burden on the seniors, while claiming to "lower taxes." And FYI, they did this when the economy was good and the money was flowing.
And FYI, don't go to their website and look for a copy of the budget because it is nowhere to be found.
Just sayin'
Perhaps you need to look at the Northampton County Website and see each Municipalities Tax Rate before you take a pot shot at Hanover. I lived in Hanover and moved to Bethlehem Township. Mill rate went from 3.9 to 5.99, and my trash fee went from $300 a year to $375. I moved so my child would be closer to the private school they were attending.
ReplyDeleteI can’t wait to see how Bethlehem Township covers the revenue gap that has been caused because the “BIG malls” along 33 are now going to be medical complexes. Saddle up, our mill rate will be closing in on the City of Bethlehem’s pretty quickly. I’ll bet Bethlehem Township catches up to the City way before Hanover, unless of course consolidation proponents get us all their quicker.
Oh, I still own multiple piece of commercial property in Hanover and I was supplementing residential trash collection for years. Now the burden is on those receiving the service. Seems fair to me.
Wish my child's private school was in Hanover.
Maybe Moravian Academy should move to Hanover for you Princess.
ReplyDeleteAnon 12:43 wrote "Perhaps you should check out the fact that numerous former Supervisors and Councilors have been appointed Managers in their municipality and it’s a growing and successful trend. Your so called political hacks are great executives.
ReplyDeleteLet me help them be correct."
so, wouldn't it be "appointed Manager" and "their municipalities"?
or is your argument only about the incorrect use of the possessive(s) rather than pronominal possessives and their relationships to the subject, direct or indirect, and object (direct or indirect) of the sentence.
Just wondering.
Maybe Moravian Academy will move to Hanover and their property in Bethlehem Township can be developed to increase tax revenue. Just a thought!
ReplyDelete