Montgomery County Quarterly Report Indicates Generally Favorable Outlook

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NORRISTOWN — Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Uri Monson’s quarterly report highlighted a couple key points — the first time the county’s fund balance grew at all since 2007 and the first Annual Required Contribution (ARC) to the pension fund since the same year.

Details were laid out during Thursday morning’s bi-monthly meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.

“Based on the Q1 revenue results, the county now projects to have an annual operating surplus for the year of over $2.6 million, on top of the nearly $2.6 million in reserves set aside to grow the fund balance,” said Monson.

“This would mark the first year-over-year increase in the fund balance since 2007.”

Read more:  http://www.timesherald.com/article/20130419/NEWS01/130419441/county-quarterly-report-indicates-generally-favorable-outlook#full_story

Montgomery County Issues $55M In Bonds For Infrastructure Projects

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NORRISTOWN — The Montgomery County Commissioners issued $55 million in bonds this week to address some county infrastructure projects.

While it does not address every item on a long laundry list of infrastructure needs throughout the county, the issuance of the bond addresses a good part of those needs without increasing the county’s current debt service over the next decade, according to the county’s top money manager.

“The bond sale received strong interest from underwriting firms with 10 banks submitting aggressive bids,” said Uri Monson, the county’s chief financial officer.

The commissioners approved the bond ordinance last month. Monson said the bonds were sold through a competitive sale process via an online bid service.  The winning bidder was PNC Capital Markets, with a True Interest Cost (TIC) of 2.39 percent.  The reported difference between the lowest bid and the next lowest bid was .017 percent.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130405/NEWS01/130409500/montgomery-county-issues-55m-in-bonds-for-infrastructure-projects#full_story

Pottstown AFSCME Contract Extended A Year, Excludes Code Inspectors

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  I would get my resume updated and start looking for a new job…just sayin’….  As for the tardiness of the Codes Department review by Remington, Vernick and Beach, are we really surprised?  I hope not.  Another day in paradise.

POTTSTOWN — With a 5-0 vote Monday night, borough council approved a one-year extension of the contract with the union which represents borough hall, public works and parks and recreation workers.

However, it does not include the borough’s code enforcement officers.

With Councilman Joe Kirkland and Councilwoman Carole Kulp absent, the remaining council members supported the motion to extend the contract, which was recommended by Borough Manager Mark Flanders and Borough Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr., the borough’s primary negotiators.

According to the information provided to council, the extension means no change in wages or health care contributions for either side.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130214/NEWS01/130219793/pottstown-afscme-contract-extended-a-year-excludes-code-inspectors#full_story

Montco Commissioners ‘Listening Tour’ Comes To Pottstown Monday

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  Maybe they should call this the magical mystery tour!

POTTSTOWN — Issues of low-income housing concentrations and economic development are likely to command the agenda Monday when the Montgomery County Commissioners come to town as part of their ongoing “listening tour.”

The commissioners are holding the open meeting Monday at 7 p.m. at the Montgomery County Community College on College Drive.

The meetings serve as a way for residents to get answers and for the commissioners to get a sense of issues their constituents care about as a way to inform important decisions, particularly budget decisions, said Frank Custer, the county’s communications director.

It is the fourth of five such meetings set up around the county that so far have attracted moderate interest from the public, according to Custer.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130210/NEWS01/130219982/montco-commissioners-listening-tour-comes-to-pottstown-monday#full_story

Conversations With Your Montgomery County Commissioners

Join the Montgomery County Commissioners in a conversation on the administration’s first year in office.  Learn about new initiatives the commissioners will be working on in 2013, and have your questions about county government answered.  Monday, Feb. 11^th, 7 pm, Montgomery County Community College, West Campus, Community Room, 101 College Drive, Pottstown.  For more information please call the Commissioners’ office at 610-278-3062.

Voters Saddle Governor Corbett With Dismal Midterm Grade

Standard of the Governor of Pennsylvania http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-pa.html#gov (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Since a 1968 constitutional revision allowed Pennsylvania governors to seek a second term, every one of them has, and all five have been successful.

Gov. Tom Corbett has said he intends to keep the two-term tradition alive, but poll numbers released last week underscore the possibility that he could break that winning streak.

A Public Policy Polling survey noted that voters gave him some of the lowest approval numbers of any incumbent the organization has tested across the country.  Although his decision to sue the National Collegiate Athletic Association over the draconian sanctions it imposed on Penn State University has proved popular with the state’s voters (despite widespread condemnation by editorial boards), the support for his legal decision has not translated to a boost in his personal popularity.  According to the archives of the Franklin & Marshall College Poll, his midterm job performance numbers were the lowest approval of any recent Pennsylvania governor.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/voters-saddle-gov-corbett-with-dismal-midterm-grade-670203/#ixzz2Huxy3OZJ

Meet The Montgomery County Commissioner Candidates – October 6

Meet the County Commissioner Candidates – October 6

The Greater North Penn Collaborative invites the Tri-County Community Network and your members and colleagues to join us on Thursday, October 6 at 9 a.m. at the Community Partners Building, 2506 N. Broad St., Colmar, PA  18915 in the Walton Room to meet the county commissioner candidates, hear their views, and ask questions of them. This is a wonderful opportunity for the nonprofit community in Montgomery County to weigh in with your needs and concerns. Remember, 3 of the 4 candidates in attendance will become commissioners. Decisions on the allocation of federal and state funds will be made by those elected.

This candidates forum will take place as part of our regular membership meeting that runs from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Carpooling is strongly advised.

We expect to have a full house, so only if you plan to attend, please respond to Betsy Roush, betsyroush@comcast.net, 215-234-4022, with the names, emails, and organizations of any attendees you are registering.

Montgomery County Prison’s $23.5 Million Expansion Completed

In an effort to eliminate overcrowding at the Montgomery County Prison, a new 512-bed addition has been constructed.  The new wing is completed and pending final inspection before prisoners can move in.

The new wing is a departure from a traditional cell block.  Prisoners will be housed in a dormitory setting, without bars.  Bunk-beds are placed along walls in large open rooms.  The new wing is for nonviolent offenders.  Of course, there are plenty of locked doors, guards and cameras.

The prison was built to house 1240 inmates.  It was then expanded and currently is home to about 1800 prisoners.

Keim Street Bridge Replacement Vote Tabled By Montgomery County Commissioners

I just read the Fishwrap‘s latest Keim Street bridge article.  I am left scratching my head.  If the quote in the article is correct, then we are lead to believe that the Montgomery County Commissioners learned of this “change of heart” in the newspaper.  Naturally they tabled the vote to approve the engineering contract.  Sadly, the $247,992 contract was going to a Pottstown area business.

Nobody thought calling Norristown to tell them about this “new thinking” would be prudent?  Instead, the commissioners were left to “read all about it” in the newspaper!  WTH!  This proposal should have been discussed “off-line” with the township and the county before any of this information was made public.

And while we’re at it, has anybody polled the North Coventry Township Supervisors or residents?  The Keim Street bridge does connect them to Pottstown so they may have some thoughts on the matter.  Were the township supervisors left to “read about it in the paper” as well?  So much for thinking “regionally”.

No wonder this town never gets any respect from the county.  What kind of message does this send?  Not a very positive one.  It’s like Alice In Wonderland, we just went down another rabbit hole.

COMMUNICATION people!

UPDATE!  North Coventy officials are PISSED!  Check this out!  http://www.pottstownmercury.com/articles/2011/08/11/news/doc4e449dba87aa2669813071.txt

Joe Hoeffel Will Not Seek Relection

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Embattled Montgomery County Commissioner, Joe Hoeffel will not run again.  Instead, he will support Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards.  Shapiro and Richards are running as a team and joined Hoeffel at a news conference where he announced he would not seek relection. 

It looks like Montgomery County Commissioner Bruce Castor will run again.  Castor was not involved in the Sunshine Law charges leveled against Commissioners Matthews and Hoeffel.  The three commissioners have had a strained relationship and frequently made headlines in local papers with their squabbling.

The Republican nominating convention will be held on February 9th and the Democratic Nominating Convention will take place on February 15th.

Let us hope whoever wins can work together for the good of Pennsylvania’s third largest and second wealthiest county!

Montgomery County’s Wacky Political Landscape

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Here is a funny but fairly correct assessment of the nonsense that is Montgomery County politics.  This is a primary year so it would pay to be informed on what is going on in Norristown!

A short but entertaining read:

http://eyescoop.blogspot.com/2011/01/chips-are-falling.html

More Damaging Evidence Comes Forth In Hoeffel/Matthews Alleged Sunshine Law Violations

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The Times Herald is reporting that H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest has revealed Hoeffel and Matthews conducted a meeting with him about the proposed American Revolutionary Center in Valley Forge Park.  When Lenfest arrived at One Montgomery Plaza in September, thinking he was meeting with all three county commissioners, only Matthews and Hoeffel were present.  Castor stated he was just down the hall, totally unaware that a meeting was taking place.

Hoeffel, in a pathetic attempt to defend his “breakfast meetings” with Matthews said “He wouldn’t be any fun.  I don’t want to have breakfast with Bruce Castor.” 

My response to this nonsense is,  ”How old are you Joe??”  That sounds a little junior high school for a county commissioner.  We are not paying you to “have fun” we are paying you to run Montgomery County which means working and playing well with others, including Bruce Castor!  Grow up!

Read the entire article here:

http://www.timesherald.com/articles/2010/12/05/news/doc4cfb1788dfdb0872346216.txt?viewmode=default