Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Supervisors voted unanimously Monday to move almost all of the $1.3 million surplus from the 2012 budget to its reserves fund
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Tuesday, January 29
With a $1.3 million surplus at the end of the fourth-quarter 2012, Montgomery Township Supervisors voted unanimously Monday night to transfer $1.1 million into the reserves fund. According to The Reporter’s Dan Sokil, Montgomery Township Finance Director Shannon Drosnock reported the surplus was due to strong revenues in 2012 from building permits and earned income taxes from the Wegmans project at Montgomery Mall and several housing permits. Total revenues in 2012 increased from the year prior by about $400,000 to $12.1 million, Sokil reports. The increase is attributed to $345,000 in building permit revenues and $159,000 more in earned income tax revenues, according to the report. Expenses in 2012 were in line with or below estimates, …
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Lansdale Library Director Tom Meyer reported to the library committee Monday that fundraising has reached 107 percent, ahead of this weekend's Oktoberfest event
Thanks to events like Lansdale Beer Fest and Lansdale Trivia Night, Lansdale Public Library has surpassed its 2012 budgeted fundraising goal of $33,000. The Reporter’s Dan Sokil attended and reported on the Lansdale Library Committee meeting Monday night, where director Tom Meyer told the committee fundraising has reached 107 percent for the year — $35,554. All this before this weekend’s fourth-annual library benefit event “Oktoberfest” in White’s Road Park. Sokil reported that the prior Oktoberfest fundraisers have raised on average $2,500 for the library. Read more about the library’s fundraising goals and details on this Saturday’s Oktoberfest at this link.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Montgomery County Board of Commissioners approve final, $417.4 million budget for 2012.
The Montgomery County Commissioners approved a 2012 operating budget Wednesday that will increase the county's average property tax bill by about $80 per year. The $417.4 million budget preserves 2011 funding levels for Montgomery County Community College, the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, and the Elmwood Park Zoo. Each of those institutions had been threatened with severe reductions in county funding in a preliminary budget posted last month. "There's a certain threshold we must maintain in order to provide the services our citizens expect," Commissioner Bruce Castor said. "I'm loathe to vote for a tax increase, but I simply don't see how we can continue to provide the services the county is expected to provide without one…
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Parks, library move off chopping block, but cuts still likely; 14.5 percent tax hike proposed.
A county budget compromise that includes both a tax hike and some funding cuts seemed increasingly likely Wednesday as the Montgomery County Commissioners continued to back away from a posted preliminary budget that would have gutted county government while eliminating funding for parks, the county library system and other programs. As drafted, the new approach would increase county property taxes to 3.085 mills, up 14.5 percent from the current rate of 2.695 mills. At that rate, the average Montgomery County property tax bill would increase by about $66 per year. The new tax revenue would be complemented by a 5.3 percent cut in general county expenditures and appropriations. Rather than being eliminated, the Parks and Heritage Services …
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Councilman Rich DiGregorio said Montgomery Township, North Penn School District are now on board to fund installation of safety devices on Knapp Road
Lansdale Councilman Rich DiGregorio is determined to get a flashing school zone on Knapp Road next to Knapp Elementary. The problem: Knapp Road is the dividing line for Lansdale Borough and Montgomery Township. Lansdale cannot install a flashing school zone area and police the area without agreement from Montgomery Township. “We have a school zone. We have support from Montgomery Township, I was told from the chief of police. For the next year, I would like to propose to see if we can put these lights up at the school,” said DiGregorio at last week’s council meeting during the budget presentation. “It’s a safety situation,” he said. “The district and principal would like to have the lights up.” DiGregorio said he would like the borough to …
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The borough is proposing $150,000 in seed money in the 2012 budget to fund a nonprofit and bring an events coordinator to town. It is also revamping the codes department into a community development division.
The proposed 2012 budget in Lansdale has seed money earmarked to fund a nonprofit and hire an events coordinator and a change of the codes department to the Department of Community Development and of John Ernst’s title from codes director to director of community development. So, just what is the difference between a community development director and an events coordinator? Councilman Jack Hansen asked just that question at last week’s budget presentation. “We’ve discussed about the community development director and I spoke with you and Mr. Ernst about it, and you’ve persuaded me; I think it’s a wonderful thing for the borough,” Hansen said, addressing borough Manager Timi Kirchner. “What I’m going to ask you is if you can explain the …
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Borough manager presented borough's investments to the town in a presentation Wednesday
Lansdale Borough is poised to pass a $30.5 million budget with no real estate tax increase for 2012 on Dec. 21. The proposed budget also includes a fund balance, as of Jan. 1, 2013, that is $321,600 greater than it was at Jan. 1, 2010. In the 2011 budget, a $472,000 surplus remained following $29.5 million in revenues and $29 million in service costs. That surplus was transferred to the reserve fund. Of that $472,000, $150,400 of it was set aside last year and it will now be used to balance out the revenue requirements for the proposed expenses in 2012, according to borough manager Timi Kirchner. That leaves $321,600 available for future budgets. The current real estate tax millage in Lansdale is 3.5 mills. Taxes were raised in the 2011 …
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Councilman Dan Dunigan said borough is finally working with a map to improve services, reduce taxpayer issues in 2012 and beyond
Lansdale Borough Council is working toward passing a $35 million budget with no real estate tax increase and no increases in fees of any kind in the borough. Councilman and Administration and Finance Committee Chairman Dan Dunigan updated the public on the current and prospective budget situation. As of the end of October, the current budget is trending well. “We are meeting our projections for finalizing this fiscal year,” Dunigan said. For the 2012 budget, each committee and department is working on its respective budgets. Those budgets then get floated to the administration and finance committee, which compiles everything into a proposed budget to be approved by council before Dec. 31. Dunigan said council expects a greater fund balance…
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10:48 am on Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Bob Your assessment that Asher does not control PA GOP is correct the Bucks GOP controls PA Politics www.bucksgop.org They have Corbett-Cawley as PA Gov/Lt Gov, they had Rendell in their pockets, Gov Mark Schweiker and Tom Ridge Also. Yes Herb Barmess died in 2000. However he split the power giving the control PA GOP to Asher and Fawkes at the local Bucks County Level. Asher is a GOP power broker… more ›