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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Hanover Holds Line on Taxes For 10th Straight Year

I missed Tuesday night's final meeting of the year in Hanover Township (NC). I do have the details, but want to tell you why I was MIA.

Dour and misguided blogger Michael Molovinsky has been letting me have it lately. He's been criticizing me for criticizing others, something he apparently thinks only he may do. So I stopped at his house, where I would repeatedly ring his doorbell and then hide in the bushes.

His doorbell, by the way, plays a great rendition of the Israeli National Anthem. After the third or fourth time, he started yelling, "I know it's you, O'Hare! I'm calling the cops." Remembering that the police there can be a little trigger happy with minorities, I skedaddled.

I'm black Irish, you know.

Next, I visited Allentown to watch the DeSales Bulldogs take on the Muhlenberg Mules in college hoops. Both Men's and Women's teams played. DeSales won both games. Ironically, while at Muhlenberg, I bumped into old friends from the courthouse in Easton. I told them I still have at least four years of eligibility and could play if they need me.  A former friend responded that the team would have to be renamed the DeSales Bullshit. Another friend is a Muhlenberg grad who regaled me with tales of his mischief as a student. This included ringing people's doorbells and hiding in the bushes. I reported him today, and the college is revoking his diploma.

Merry Christmas, Frank!

As for Hanover Tp, Supervisors voted unanimously to hold the line for the 10th straight year. Township Manager Jay Finnigan also cut spending by $200,000, and has no plans to borrow money for anything.

The Township currently has zero debt. It has had zero debt for at least three years now.

The millage rate, which has remained the same since 2008 and includes a fire tax of 0.5 mills, will remain 3.90 mills.

"How the hell do you do this?" I asked Finnigan.

"Magic."

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Magic? More like Bullshit!

If they are so solvent after ten year sit means homeowners have been overtaxed for a decade. If life has been so great, how about a tax cut for us?

Anonymous said...

So, do they have high taxes, or are they just good managers, a rarity in government everywhere.

Anonymous said...

What's the difference between Hanover Twp & Bethlehem Twp?
0% Tax increase vs 7%+.

Poor administrative management and absent minded commissioners!

Bernie O'Hare said...

There are three big differences. First, Hanover has no debt, thanks in large part to the fire tax. Second, Hanover participates in a regional police department, and while that is a big ticket item, it can plan ahead for it and does not get bogged down in a lot of the decisions that come with the oversight of a police department.

Bernie O'Hare said...

The board in HT is also very collegial. They have differences, but have deep respect for one another. They are willing to laugh at themselves. Best board I have encountered. A lot of Township Boards are good. BT tends to get bogged down.

Anonymous said...

Of course not. Finnigan boasts in public about their millions in reserves. If thats the case give the taxpayers a reduction.

Anonymous said...

Seems the folks bitching about HT taxes don't consider that their tax rate is less than 1/4 of BT's.

Anonymous said...

They can be collegial, they are all old insider republicans. Finnigan was one of them and when he needed a job they gave him one. One word overtaxed!

Anonymous said...

This is where you need to know the facts. I worked with Finnigan at his former employer. Do some fact checking. Check his Linked in account. He had just been promoted and was hugely successful. He was a complete outsider having moved into the Valley less than 10 years earlier from New England. I understand he's pretty close to retiring. Jealous people will alway criticize. County website shows their mill rate at 3.9. Lessons to be learned.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, everyone quits a job they were promoted to and hugely successful in. I bet the success was also bigly. That babble only works with Trump supporters.lol