Toepel Talks Taxes, PennDOT Issues With Residents

State Representative Marcy Toepel met with a handful of residents before the Perkiomen Township Board of Supervisors Meeting on Tuesday, discussing lottery operations, property tax reform, and transportation.

“I believe that it is important to regularly meet with residents of the 147th District to hear their priorities and concerns,” said Toepel in a press release announcing the meeting.

Residents brought up many questions on specific Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) projects; Toepel told residents that an interactive map will be available for Montgomery County PennDOT projects in the near future, to let residents know where certain projects stand in the process towards completion.

Toepel also talked about state pensions, and the fact that the state is left with a $40 to $45 billion liability regarding pensions that have gone unfunded by the state. Toepel said that this financial requirement that has gone underfunded for the past ten years.

According to Toepel’s Chief of Staff, Bill Bushnell, these meetings are new approach to mobile office hours, in which Toepel and staff had previously set up shop in a municipal building for a few hours during the day to help the constituents of that municipality.

The meetings are now scheduled prior to the municipality's business meeting, so that residents may attend both, if interested.

Toepel’s district office staff provides its constituents with services, including: Driver’s license and vehicle registration applications and renewal; assistance with PennDOT paperwork, lost cards, changes, corrections, special registration plates, vanity plates, and temporary placards for disabled persons.

The office can also help with PACE and PACENET applications for seniors; Property Tax and Rent Rebate applications; voter registration forms and absentee ballot applications; state tax forms; student aid applications; state maps, state park information, and Pennsylvania Vacation Guides; copies of legislation and tours of the State Capitol; and referrals to agencies to resolve state-related matters, according to a press release from the office.

“We intend to visit all of the boroughs in the 147th Legislative District,” Bushnell said.

The following constituent meetings have been scheduled by Toepel's Office:

Green Lane Borough: April 11th, constituent time: 6-7 p.m., meeting at 7 p.m.

Schwenksville Borough: May 9th, constituent time 6-7 p.m., meeting at 7 p.m.

Douglass Twp.: May 20th, constituent time 6:30-7:30, meeting at 7:30 p.m.

Upper Frederick Twp.: June 13th, constituent time 6-7 p.m., meeting at 7 p.m.

Pennsburg Borough: July 9th, constituent visits 6-7 p.m., municipal meeting at 7 p.m.

Salford Twp.: July 17th, constituent time 6:30-7:30, meeting at 7:30 p.m.

Red Hill Borough: Aug. 14th, constituent time 6:30-7:30, meeting at 7:30 p.m.

Upper Salford Twp.: Sept. 10th, constituent time 6:30-7:30, meeting at 7:30 p.m.

New Hanover Twp: August 12th; time to be confirmed later

Upper Hanover Twp.: August 13th, constituent visits 6

Pennsburg Borough: July 9th, constituent visits 6-7, municipal meeting at 7 p.m.