Local Government TV

Tuesday, January 08, 2019

70 Voters Petition for Review Allentown's 27% Tax Hike

Allentown City Council in Action. Candida Affa and Cynthia Mota perilously
close to Roger MacLean's lap.  
Allentown's Home Rule Charter allows a group of at least 35 voters to petition City Council to place an item on the agenda of a regular City Council meeting. After a two day review period, the City Council President must list the matter. That's what just happened in Allentown. The item up for review is the 27% tax hike that went into effect only as a result of a midnight veto by Mayor Ray O'Connell.

Former Allentown Controller and City Council member Lou Hershman spearheaded this petition drive. He submitted a petition signed by 70 voters yesterday. It is being reviewed by City Clerk Mike Hanlon. 

City Council has no power on its own to open the budget. But it could urge the Mayor to do so, especially since they supported a less onerous budget.

Hershman questions why so many supervisors are still on the City payroll, and why they are being paid so much money. He believes the tax hike can be reduced or eliminated.

Is it too late? No. According to Hershman, tax bills go out in February, so there is still time to roll back the increase.

If just 35 signatures are valid, City Council will be forced to consider this matter at their January 16 meeting.

15 comments:

  1. Let them start with a review of the 5th floor personal, then move on to the unindicted Pawlowski collaborators positions.
    That would be light lifting.

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  2. That picture. OH MY!!!

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  3. O'Connell and his supporting cohorts including council who put him in must go or you will get no positive results from these left wing democrats all they know is tax tax tax and spend spend spend it's not their money

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  4. That photo should come with a parental warning. Admittedly, it does depict the members making their best oral arguments.

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  5. Hershman, Hahn and Hunsicker are three noodnicks with entirely too much free time on their hands. All they do is complain and feel the need to talk on every subject at every meeting yet they offer no solutions. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

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  6. Bernie 9:09 am is just another anal retentive bore that want to rewrite another failing law to spend the children's children's monies for personal gain when fact remains hell is there destiny! Claiming positives when there is no checks and balances except profiteers of said failing entities separated like church and state itZ just a fail fail all around when tickets are gifted by church.

    humanist by design

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  7. I wonder if 9:42 is Hahn?
    Sure sounds like him
    Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
    As long as you have people on Council like clueless Mota, nothing is ever going to change.

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  8. What would FedEd do?

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  9. O'Connell will not re-open the budget .
    End of story.
    Had council passed the Omnibus Amendment, it would have had plenty of time to over ride O'Connell's veto.
    MacLean screwed up.
    Great picture.
    O'Connell played by the rules. again council screwed up.
    Heard MacLean is done as President of Council.

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  10. Waiting until midnight was a punk ass, cowardly move, regardless of the rules. MacLean is a dummy. O'Connell is a deceitful coward. He will go down in Allentown history as a deceitful coward. He worked very hard for that distinction and wears it well.

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  11. 2:11 so so true you are

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  12. 70 people signed the petition? I wonder if Ringer just passed it around from barstool to barstool one night....when O’Connell wasn’t there of course....which would probably be Sunday afternoon then.

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  13. Hyman,Zucal and Asshole Ringer are teaming up to defeat O'Connell this year.
    Zucal's new word for O'Connell is COWARD.
    He is on a Latino radio station praising that.
    O'Connell really doesn't care if he is defeating.
    Hyman bring it on.
    Hyman has LOTS of baggage recently over 2 issues.
    Let the FUN begin.
    ONLY in Allentown.



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  14. Allentown will vote o'connell back in look how they voted fed ed in so many times the Allentown voters are stupid

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  15. Who is sleeping?

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