Changes in the state gaming law have removed local control over distribution of slots tax revenue from the Sands. These decisions are now being made by the black hole known as the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA). CFA consists of seven Board members: four legislative appointees and the secretaries of DCED, the Office of the Budget and Department of Banking and Securities. Project approval requires five affirmative votes, four of which must come from legislative appointees. What this means is that the land of midnight payraises decides what's necessary.
At their May 22 meeting, CFA approved the grants you see below. Hellertown appears to have been short-changed. That borough, which definitely has been impacted negatively by the casino, in the past used slots revenue to help fund police. But I'm sure we'd all agree on the value of the $15,000 murals grant in Easton as well as $75,000 for Bethlehem's golf course.
Fore!
1 Lehigh County Lehigh Valley Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center Lehigh $225,758
2 Macungie Borough Cotton Street Pedestrian Bridge Connection Lehigh $32,197
3 Weisenberg Township Weisenberg Township Trail Network Lehigh $32,197
4 Whitehall Township Whitehall Parkway Pavillion Lehigh $69,622
5 Whitehall Township Industrial and Commercial Development Authority Hokendauqua Historic Preservation District - Site Survey Lehigh $26,590
6 Bath Borough Multi-Municipal Paving Equipment Procurement Northampton $51,721
7 Bethlehem City Bethlehem Municipal Golf Course Improvements Northampton $75,000
8 Bethlehem Township Police vehicles Northampton $39,783
9 Bethlehem Township Purchase of fire utility truck Northampton $40,000
10 Borough of West Easton Phase II, Public Works Garage Northampton $46,091
11 Bushkill Township Police License Plate Reader Program Northampton $40,080
12 Freemansburg Borough Streets Maintenance Program Northampton $51,192
13 Glendon Borough Berger Road Stormwater Management and Road Improvements Northampton $80,000
14 Greater Easton Development Partnership Easton Murals Northampton $15,000
15 Lehigh County Lehigh Valley Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center Northampton $275,742
16 Lehigh Valley Economic Investment Corporation Northampton Community College (NCC) Culinary Upgrade Grant Request Northampton $176,000
17 Lower Nazareth Township Lower Nazareth Township Fire Company Air Packs Northampton $42,920
18 Lower Saucon Township Seidersville Hall Improvements Northampton $47,239
19 Nazareth Borough Life Saving Fire Equipment Northampton $26,000
20 Northampton Borough Tomcar Fire/Transport Rescue Vehicle Northampton $56,867
21 Palmer Township Suburban EMS Ambulance Northampton $50,000
22 Pen Argyl Borough 2018 Police Vehicle Request Northampton $66,658
23 Redevelopment Authority of the City of Bethlehem Bethlehem Steelworkers Veterans Memorial Relocation - Phase 2 Northampton $25,000
24 Roseto Borough New Public Works Garage Northampton $200,468
5/22/2019 Page 25 of 26
25 Stockertown Borough Police Equipment Upgrades Northampton $17,500
26 Tatamy Borough Security and safety upgrades Northampton $15,000
27 Wind Gap Borough Wind Gap Municipal Complex Garage Apron Upgrade Northampton $40,000
28 Wind Gap Borough Wind Gap Sewer Line Study
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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Tuesday, May 28, 2019
12 comments:
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18 Lower Saucon Township Seidersville Hall Improvements Northampton $47,239
ReplyDeleteI deleted a comment from Mezzacappa
ReplyDeleteMy God.. sime of these expenditures are outrageous. No wonder people hate government and politicians. Why is Bushkill getting a single dime of this welfare? What a bunch of entitled leeches. WTF. We deserve bad things.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the big winners were Jim Martin and Roseto.
ReplyDeleteSad to see that public safety items have the same priority as golf course improvements.
ReplyDeleteDid 1 and 15 get two different amounts?
ReplyDeleteThey are different entities. The first is the RIC, which accumulates data from incident reports throughout the Lehigh Valley to help police solve crime. Item 15 is a forensic center, located at DeSales.
ReplyDeleteRe: #18 - Lower Saucon Township Seidersville Hall Improvements
ReplyDeleteThis hall was the old Seidersville school, one room of which still basically appears as it did years ago. The "old school" windows in this (heated) place are attractive prey to Jack Frost, who can easily & adversely affect the interior temperatures - IMHO, way too many heating $$$ going out the window - figuratively! If they're going to keep this place open, then it needs attention.
Besides housing the Lower Saucon Senior Center, it is also houses the office (and archives) of the Lower Saucon Township Historical Society.
Thanks for that explanation.,
ReplyDeleteStupid me! I thought the money was to help municipalities with the impact caused by gamblers coming into Bethlehem?!?! Crime, traffic,...
ReplyDeleteNot under changes in the law. It is now wam money.
ReplyDeleteSad in so many ways. All that money came from the pockets of many an addict: gambling-booze-drugs-sex so are these communities really happy to maybe see the back seat of a police car on their drive home to Freemansburg...
ReplyDelete