The spending plan next year will maintain the current real estate tax of 7.09 mills. According to Finance Director Andrew Freda, this translates to an annual tax bill of $647 for the average taxpayer.
In addition to real estate taxes, the Township imposes an earned income tax (0.5%). Freda predicts that the annual earned income tax payment per household will be $415.
Of the $18.5 million the Township will spend next year, nearly $8.5 million is budgeted for public safety, about two per cent more than in 2017. Nearly a third of the tax bill will fund police protection.
The vote was 4-0 because Commissioner Howard Kutzler was absent.
In another 4-0 vote, Commissioners ordained a tax exemption of up to $1,000 in earned income tax for volunteer firefighters. This is permitted under recent changes to state law aimed at helping municipalities to retain dwindling numbers of volunteer firefighters and other first responders.
Thanks to brilliant advocacy by prominent Easton Attorney Chuck Bruno, plans for a 400,000 sq ft flex building off Hecktown Road were approved. The property is a 28-acre tract, located mostly in Lower Nazareth Township, along Commerce Park Drive near the Route 33 exit. Bethlehem Township officials had concerns about drainage, but those were addressed by principal Lewis Ronca. This project had been recommended by both the Planning Commission and the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
Ronca told me he's moving Martin Tower there.
Commissioners also approved the following police promotions: Shaun Powell, from CPL to SGT; and Officer Jeremy Anderson, from OFC to CPL. Both of these officers are heavily involved in community outreach, and I hope to tell you more about them when they are officially sworn in.
The meeting ended in a debate over, of all things the field use policy at township parks. Commissioners voted 3-1, with Mike Hudak dissenting, to revoke the current field use policy and replace it in a few weeks.
17 comments:
Heard Keen was given his walking papers from NorCo prison.....spring cleaning coming early.
To better manage taxpayer dollars spent, it's time for the township to analyze the cost of merging with colonial regional police. 1/3 of total budget for police is insane.
Have you bothered to go to a meeting and make this pitch in person? Or do you think anonymous comments here suffice?
Would I be safe from retribution? What if the color of my skin is off white? Would they say, oh, he's just an angry hispanic/black male/female with a criminal record? I fear for my safety of police profiling.
Typical anonymous coward.
Mr. O'Hare: Not sure why the post about Jim was disabled. However, just want to put into perspective that when darkness falls, strong souls like Jim Hickey endure. I know of what i speak as a survivor of the Long Night of grace's fall. Having known Jim since elementary school, it is painful to see history repeating. And so unnecessary as the criminalization of politics also endures.
Anyone who is human regardless of their perspective must wish good will and prayers for Carla and the kids. And know this: The God of a Second Chance blesses those who know anything is possible when you refuse to give up. And Jim is a believer....
Annon 10:32 is OT. He committed crimes as n has pled guilty. End of Story.
Mr. Hudak's behavior once again shows his condescending personality. He figures his constituents will have another 4 years to forget last night.
Frankly, I had no idea why everyone was so worked up. I give Hudak a pass bc he thought someone lied to him.
Who lied to him? What was the lie?
Bernie,
Regardless of whether or not Mr. Hudak may have been lied to, the president of a governing body should act a little more respectfully, and not call people liars at a public meeting.
9:06 YOU MUST BE NEW. HUDAK WOULD HAVE SAID WHAT HE SAID REGARDLESS OF BEING PRESIDENT. ITS CLEAR THAT GUY LIED TO HIM AND WAS LYING AT THE MEETING TO TRY AND COVER HIS ASS. HUDAK IS THE BEST BOARD PRESIDENT SINCE PAUL WEISS HANDS DOWN. I DONT WANT A COMMISSIONER REPRESENTING ME WHO IS AFRAID TO SAY WHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID. IF SOMEONE IS GIVING FALSE INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC ITS INCUMBENT FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO LET US KNOW THAT.
ENOUGH ABOUT HUDAK, HES DOING A GREAT JOB FOR THE PAST TWELVE YEARS AND IM SURE HE'LL REPRESENT THE MASSES WELL FOR THE NEXT FOUR. THE REAL PROBLEM I HAVE IS THE $10,000.00 RAISE BOTH THE MANAGER AND ASSISTANT MANAGER GOT. $10,000.00 EACH. AND THIS WAS ADDED AFTER THE PUBLIC BUDGET MEETINGS. SOMETIME BETWEEN NOVEMBER AND MONDAY NIGHT THEY WERE BOTH GIVEN $10,000.00 RAISES AND YOU PEOPLE ARE CRYING ABOUT CALLING A LIAR A LIAR ! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE? HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN WITHOUT INFORMING THE PUBLIC. AM GOING TO ASK BERNIE TO LOOK INTO THIS. TALK ABOUT YOUR BACK DOOR DEALING. AND SHAFER AND DAVIS KEEP SPOUTING TRANSPARENCY. WHERE THE TRANSPARENCY HERE ?
Typical Howard "Jaindl" Kutzler to skip the final meeting of his brief career as a Commissioner. Must really be butt hurt for being absent when there is still business to be done.
There is no transparency. I will look into what you are saying. I was under the impression that Shafer's raise was in line with the staff. If this change was made at the last minute, I am disappointed. I have always been all-too-willing to nail Hudak, as he himself can tell you,b ut he has been an excellent board president. He keeps the agenda moving, and everyone who wants to speak is heard. He was angry on Monday night, but he gets a pass bc he thought someone lied to him. I personally think it was a misunderstanding bc you would have to be insane to lie to a government official who votes on an annual grant.
@5:00 PM,
The budget could have been adjusted anytime between hearings and the time it was advertised to the public. According to the draft online, the Manager, Assistant Manager, Executive Assistant and Administrative Assistant were to receive raises. They range from about $2000 (Manager) to just a little over $800 (Admin Asst). You would have to see the advertised document to make the assertions of the "secret" large raises legitimate.
BTW, Hudak doesn't have the tact to settle disagreements privately. He showboats in the public eye, as opposed to settling matters calmly. It was quite unprofessional to blatantly call someone a liar in a public meeting. Let's hope there's any well-spoken candidate to oppose him next time around. The demographic of his ward is changing. He is running on name recognition. He's nothing like his father was, except his disdain for the police department.
A $2000 raise is obscene. More insider nonsense.
"Right now, Bethlehem Township pays a third of their budget for police protection. Whoever they get to do their collective bargaining in the township completely fails and the Board of Supervisors allows this; just like they fail in giving out 10 and 20% raises to their administrators."
I believe that it is spent on public safety, not just police, and it is money well spent. The whole purpose of local government is to provide for public safety, something that appears to have eluded you.
Not every place is Bath.
BT is tea party central. The biggest members from the tea party live there. They go to meetings, including budget hearings. They have never complained about what is paid to the police. Nor have I heard anyone complain, except for you in your anonymous comments. Stop being a coward and go to a meeting and say it is too much. Participate in your government. Anonymous comments here made after the fact are a day late and $20,000 short.
Finally, despite the attempt to portray these raises as "insider" nonsense and the outright disinformation posted by the capslock commando, the truth is that these raises were part of the budget process and discussed openly and in the public eye. All five commissioners supported this raise, including goofy Pat Breslin. Now he may go on WAEB and claim differently, but he voted for it.
I would much rather see a government compensate its people adequately than blow the $ on trips, gift cards both and popcorn machines. They did vote to send Nathan Jones to New Orleans for four days, and I find that is ridiculous because he could do his training here in Pa., but not one member of the public spoke against it, nor did any of the Comm'rs.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. If you want to make a difference, you need to show up.
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