At their September 21 meeting, Bethlehem Township Commissioner Tom Nolan told Ben Hedrick that a planned tax hike for next year was nothing more than a "false rumor." Nolan noted that no one had even seen next year's financial forecast. Well, it's out now, and township staff is actually counting on it. A memo from Finance Director Andy Freda clearly states, "Tax increase recommended to mitigate structural imbalance."
Despite this recommendation, my guess is that Commissioners will do what they can to avoid a tax hike. Budget hearings start tonight at 5 pm, before the regular meeting. The Budget for next year will be formally introduced on November 16, with a final vote scheduled for December 21.
Here are links to the 2016 Budget Assumptions and 2016 Budget Draft.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Monday, October 19, 2015
7 comments:
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Interesting how that Township adds staff constantly spends money seeks grant money and it somehow has to raise taxes? How about it start cutting spending? Are the spending plans in that budget actually needed and not wanted? The Board should make the staff go beck to the drawing board and present a no tax increase option first.
ReplyDeleteRaise my taxes and then the first thing they ask for is to hire another employee in the permit division???? What am I missing????
ReplyDeleteBT is still trying to recover from many years of failing to keep revenue to expense ratios adequate. For more than a decade, they've cut expenses to the bone by delaying major purchases that could affect public safety. You can't get blood from a stone. The commissioners would rather do everything to guarantee re-election, than face the reality of a necessary tax hike. The talk of a tax hike will be dismissed until after the November elections.
ReplyDelete8:30 - You're not missing anything - they need another employee and they use tax revenue to pay them. Duh. BT hasn't raised taxes in ages, stop whining and pay the extra 10 bucks. My god.
ReplyDeleteThe problem here is years of incompetent leadership led by Tom Nolan. He is a smoke and mirrors guy. They lost significant revenue when the regional mall walked a few years ago on Freemansburg Avenue and they refuse to balance the budget with minor adjustments in the millage rate particularly in election years.
ReplyDeleteBorrow, Borrow, Borrow. It is time to stop and have small incremental increases. Wait for the 15-25% increase that will need to occur.
Not sure if things are run by the same people but the Bethlehem Area School Board is voting on something tonight called "Leader In Me" which is the Mormon church in disguise. James Jones and his kool-aid stuff.
ReplyDeleteTo top it off, the donors ($14,000 per school) are businesses that remain anonymous?
With all the pay to play and the federal government seeking the truth, not sure that the school district should hide who the donors are. They are setting themselves up for same Allentown troubles!
7:25- what staff additions are you talking about? I thought there were less employees now than 10-15 years ago? When I walk in to pay my taxes, its like a graveyard, there's no one to be seen.
ReplyDelete