Monday, June 18, 2012
Includes 2.285 percent property tax hike
The board of the Perkiomen Valley School District on Monday night adopted a $90.2 million budget for the 2012-13 school year. The budget includes a 2.285 percent property tax hike for homeowners in the district. The tax rate will increase to 29.24 mills, which translates to an annual tax increase of $15.21 per year ($1.27 per month) for the average homeowner in the district. The district could have increased taxes by up to 4.83 percent without putting the matter to voters in a referendum. The board was negotiating with the teachers’ union as late as last Friday, June 15, for a 6-month wage freeze, but as of that date none of the teachers had agreed to the freeze. The board voted to use the exclusions available under Act 1, which caps tax …
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Board negotiating salary freeze to help with budget shortfall; school secretary makes heartfelt plea for her job: "I would be heartbroken if I had to leave the district."
The Perkiomen Valley School District continued working through its budget options at Monday's school board work session. According to a spreadsheet shown during the meeting, as of May 7, 2012, the projected budget shortfall was $921,839. The board has already made several suggestions to close that gap, including bringing some special education classes back in house and cutting 15 secretarial and support staff positions. With those suggestions implemented, the district still faces a shortfall of $257,574. The board reviewed several options tonight. One option involves using Act 1 exclusions, which would raise the tax rate from 2.0 percent to 2.43 percent. On an average property value assessment of $180,000, that would increase a homeowner…
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Final approval due in June
The time for "easy" cuts is over, noted Perkiomen Valley School District Superintendent Dr. Clifford Rogers during Monday night's school board meeting. Although the board approved a proposed final budget on May 7 in order to adhere to the Act I timeline, members are still grappling with how to close a $921,000 gap. Items suggested for cutting expenses come from the "yellow" or "shared pain" list that emerged from 2011's Town Hall meeting where district residents evaluated ways to reduce costs or raise revenue in order to make up for the budget shortfall. Board member Randy Bennett broke down the list into three sections, noting that the measures consist of a wage freeze, "soft" savings (meaning the value isn't definite) and eliminating …
40.21844
-75.45359
Perkiomen Valley High School
509 Gravel Pike, Collegeville, PA
/articles/school-board-recommends-items-for-budget-savings
856525
/locations/7024856
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Vote taken during late December meeting
Skippack Township Supervisors approved the 2012 budget with a unanimous vote Thursday, Dec. 29, shortly after 9:30 a.m. Due to an advertising error, the vote was delayed to the late December date. Due to heating troubles in the meeting room on the township building's main level, the meeting was moved to Community Room B on the lower level. Supervisors Mark Marino, Bill Parkins and Mary Beth LaBelle, along with Township Manager Ted Locker Jr. and Solicitor Jill Zimmerman were in attendance. Supervisors Jeanene Friel and Timothy Moran were absent. The budget has "no big changes, other than an inclusion of projects" such as a pedestrian bridge on Collegeville Road, the electronic signs on Routes 113 and 73 and bathrooms at Hallman Grove, said…
40.216365
-75.418024
Skippack Township Building
4089 Heckler Rd, Collegeville, PA
/articles/skippack-budget-approved-no-tax-hike
856271
/locations/6091363
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
Budget for 2012 up for vote
Skippack Supervisors Chairman Mark Marino declared Skippack Township in "good fiscal shape" during November's 2012 proposed budget presentation, which showed no tax increase for the township. Supervisor Bill Parkins speculated it had been decades since residents had had a township tax hike. The budget (see PDF) shows $3,080,950 in revenue and $3,029,337 in expenditures; both are nearly 30 percent changes from last year. The biggest increase in expenses came from health care benefits' costs (about 15 percent); salaries for the supervisors remain unchanged, but positions such as the township manager, treasurer and permit coordinator will see increases of 3 or 4 percent. Other expenditures for the township include the electronic signs for …
40.216365
-75.418024
Skippack Township Building
4089 Heckler Rd, Collegeville, PA
/articles/no-tax-hike-predicated-for-skippack-township
856271
/locations/6013722
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 …
Friday, December 9, 2011
Council acknowledges 'belt-tightening' in this economy; also discuss county's proposed cuts.
Schwenksville Borough Council on Thursday night unanimously approved the 2012 budget, which is smaller than previous years, and set the tax rate, which is the same as 2011. Noting the tough economic climate, councilman Rudy Micsko said, “It wouldn’t be right to increase people’s taxes when they’re hurting.” From 2009, Schwenksville has operated with a budget around $548,000; now there is about $390,000. As council discussed working within the constraints of declining revenues, conversation during Mayor Joe Giunta’s report turned to the current county budget crisis. Giunta said he wanted go “on the record” that he is “adamantly opposed to closing parks, trails and historical sites.” One of my chief concerns is the health welfare and safety …
40.252957
-75.463543
Schwenksville Borough
140 Main St, Schwenksville, PA
/articles/no-tax-increase-for-schwenksville
1026890
/locations/5980989
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Board authorizes advertisement
The Perkiomen Township Board of Supervisors unanimously approved advertising the proposed 2012 budget, which presently shows no tax increase for residents. The overall budget is about $3.4 million, which is an 8.1 percent increase from the 2011 budget. There are five components to the total budget: the general fund, street light fund, fire tax fund, liquid fuels fund and the hydrant tax fund. The breakdown, according to Township Manager Cecile Daniel, is the following: General Fund $2,317,906 -- This is a $19,219 increase from 2011; it will be covered by the reserves. Street Light Fund $103,099 -- This is a $1,927 increase from 2011; it will be covered by the reserves. Fire Tax Fund $403,200 -- This is a $49,950 increase from 2011. The …
40.21784
-75.45343
Perkiomen Township Administration Building
1 Trappe Rd, Collegeville, PA
/articles/perkiomen-township-manager-no-tax-increase-for-proposed-budget
856476
/locations/5723920
Just another Mom
12:53 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
just curious, what elementary school does Galambos' kids go to? (yikes, is it do or does??) more ›