On Tuesday night, with little discussion, Bethlehem City Council voted 6-1 to approve both a 2.6% property tax hike as well as an 8% sewer tax hike for next year. The sole dissenting Council member was Grace Crampsie Smith. It did so despite having received $34.4 million in ARPA funding, which can be used to replace revenue. In Allentown, their City Council enacted a budget that takes $760,000 out of the rainy day fund without touching $1 million in unspent ARPA funding, Given the amount of federal funding provided to municipalities over the past two years, both Bethlehem's tax hike and Allentown's decision to deplete its emergency fund balance are fiscally irresponsible decisions. If the Lehigh Valley's three cities, only Easton acted responsibly. For the 16th year in a row, it avoided a tax hike by raising parking meter fees and passing along part of the cost of an increase in trash collection.
Some of you remarked that Easton is near its maximum tax rate of 25 mills for third class cities and thus has been forced to be more creative. This is incorrect. Mayor Sal Panto posted a comment on this blog explaining that the 25 mill max applies only to the city's general fund. He added that is only taxed at a rate of 12 mills. Here's what he said.
Hi Bernie, Sal Panto here. I would like to clarify the issue about the millage ceiling. The ceiling for a city of the Third Class like Easton is 25 mils for the General Fund. This does not include a number of budgets that aren't part of the General Fund. The actual millage rate for the General Fund is about 12 mils and all budgets combined including recreation, debt service, etc. equals 24.95 mills. Let's also remember that I have never shied away form the fact that we are increasing fees, like parking fees. The intent is to place any increases on our visitors and tourists, and not the city property owners, many of who are elderly and on a fixed income. The fact is that we could raised the millage rate a lot higher if we needed to but my intent is to keep it level and hopefully lower the rate.
Whatever you may think of Mayor Panto, he has been an incredibly good steward of the people's money. And incidentally, he is a Democrat.
17 comments:
Props to Sal for posting under his real name !
Bethlehem and Allentown voters need to look in the mirror. You get what you vote for.
I would ask the additional question. Since I left employment in the city in 2003, Easton has adopted a home rule charter. I understand that home rule municipalities are exempt from property tax limits and act 511 tax limits. That provision of the law was challenged in Scranton and upheld by Commonwealth Court. Does that provision apply to Easton or is there an exception for Easton tax rates?
Mike McFadden
So Sal wants the burden to be on “visitors and tourists”? You mean like people from Palmer, Forks, etc. who want to go to a show at the State Theatre, visit the winter village, etc. His response, of course, for the holiday “visitor” will be that the parking garages are free on December weekends. A “visitor” has little choice but to use the garages on those occasions because vacant metered spaces are usually non-existent plus recently expressed desires to extend meter operating times would make attending a show a logistical nightmare. Perhaps some “visitors and tourists” are of an age or physical ability where walking from the 3rd Street City Hall garage is a bit of a challenge. Trying to use the new 4th Street garage is an absolute nightmare. Whether accessing the ground level 2-hour spaces or the upper deck long-term parking, a garage patron faces the wrath of the dumbest design and engineering concept ever imagined. Entering and exiting vehicles use the same portal which is a bare minimum width of one vehicle in each direction. Executing a 90 degree turn in or out of the garage from/to 4th Street requires the skill of a NASCAR driver. And, of course, everyone these days is so patient waiting for someone to make a move before they attempt theirs. Just ask the people blaring their horns on 4th Street as traffic backs up in both directions. Genius design, but then it’s just the “visitors and tourists” who have to put up with it, so who cares!
And the visitors and tourists will continue to come.
“City property owners” means the developers and the new residents who reside in high-end apartments. The actual “visitors” are the people who have been gentrified by the self-promoter, Sal. Shame on you, Sal.
"The actual “visitors” are the people who have been gentrified by the self-promoter, Sal."
Where has the west ward gentrified?
He failed to address his awful Sal Panto Commuter Tax that heartlessly steals from county employees. If Easton is doing so well, why does he continue to attack working families who happen to travel to Easton? It's as rotten a thing as any local pol has ever done. Simply vicious. No credit for facing any music. He ran from it. He should rescind it and apologize to those from whom he stole it.
It isnt just county workers I thought. It is anyone who works in Easton. The privilege to use the roads. The roads that are absolutely dog shit most of the time. Add to that with UGI replacing pipes they had to dig up many of the remaining nice roads. What is our money actually going to? How do I seriously vote him out? I dont live in Easton but I want him out of office! This is insanity.
I will never go into Easton any longer do to the parking problems down there. If you are fortunate enough to find a space close enough to your destination that you don’t have to Uber to. The cost is unbelievable
Mike
You and Tom were the best duo the city had
Sal’s city stops at 6th street
I live in Easton and I am not going downtown anymore. I am sick of the traffic. I am sick of road closings.Why should I go downtown for a meal and feed the meter when I can go out to Palmer Township and park for free ???
4:10. On behalf of all Easton residents. GOOD. We are glad you are staying away. We discussed it
How about fixing Washington St. on the west side? The street has more bumps and crater than a bombed-out highway. You should ask Detroit if they want to use it to test car suspensions. It is terrible and you should be ashamed of it.
You citizens should think long and hard on that, you can’t keep everything going yourself without visitors and tourists
Totally agree
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