Pottstown Nets $110,000 In Unpaid Water Bills Through ‘Landlord Shutoffs’

POTTSTOWN, PA — When the third financial quarter started in July 1, nearly $200,000 in unpaid water and sewer bills loomed over the borough system’s finances.

By July 29, that number had been cut by more than half as the result of the borough’s fourth round of “landlord shutoffs.”

“It was very rewarding,” Bob Plenderleith, the borough’s utilities administrator, told the Pottstown Borough Authority last week.

“That level of return is outstanding,” said Finance Director Janice Lee.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140826/pottstown-nets-110000-in-unpaid-water-bills-through-landlord-shutoffs

Pottstown Council OKs $39M Budget, Tax Hike Below 1%, Sewer Rates Up 4%

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

POTTSTOWN, PA — The $38.9 million 2014 borough budget was adopted by council with a 5-1-1 vote Monday night after it was announced the tax hike had ducked under the 1 percent mark.

With a 6-1 vote, Council also approved a sewer rate increase of $5 per quarter for the base rate, and an additional 20 cents per 1,000 cubic feet of water used — an increase of about 4 percent.

Borough Manager Mark Flanders announced prior to the budget vote that the 1.01 percent tax hike initially proposed by the administration in November had been cut to 0.95 percent.

For a resident with a home assessed at $85,000, that works out to an increase of $8.39 for the year, he said.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20131210/council-oks-39m-budget-tax-hike-below-1-sewer-rates-up-4

Facing 4.3% Tax Hike, Pottstown Working To Close $330K Budget Deficit

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

POTTSTOWN, PA — The public got its first look at the proposed $38.3 million borough budget for 2014 on Wednesday night and saw a projected deficit of more than $330,000 — the rough equivalent of a 4.3 percent property tax increase.

Finance Director Janice Lee made the budget presentation, but did not identify how the administration will propose to close the deficit, which her presentation spreadsheet pegged more specifically at $332,308.

Other than a property tax increase, options for closing that budget gap could include additional revenue from other sources or decreased expenses.

Asked after the meeting how much of a tax hike would be needed to close that gap, Lee declined to speculate and noted that the administration has not yet made a recommendation to borough council, whose members listened to the budget presentation Wednesday night but asked no questions.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20131107/facing-43-tax-hike-pottstown-working-to-close-330k-budget-deficit

Budget Preparations Getting Started In Pottstown Borough

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

POTTSTOWN, PA — Although Pottstown Borough Council has yet to be presented with a budget draft, the members of council’s finance committee have.

It is too soon to say if council will be able to avoid raising property taxes for two years in a row, but it is obviously on everybody’s mind.

Councilman Dan Weand, who chairs the finance committee, told council that he likes the way the borough finances are shaping up.

“So far, with 75 percent of the year passed, we’ve brought in 85 percent of the revenue and only seen 74 percent of the expenses,” said Weand.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20131019/budget-preparations-getting-started-in-pottstown-borough

Pottstown Takes Aim At $27M In Medical Costs For Retired Police

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

POTTSTOWN — Facing a potential liability of as much as $27 million for medical costs for current and future retired police personnel, the borough is finally beginning to set aside money to cover the costs, as a financial review and several audits have recommended.

At its Sept. 4 meeting, council was briefed on the proposal to set aside $250,000 per year for what the council agenda labeled opaquely as “OPEB,” which, according to Borough Manager Mark Flanders, stands for “other post employment benefits.”

The official vote will occur at Monday night’s council meeting, which begins at 7 and is the meeting at which the public is allowed to comment.

These potential costs are not retirement payments, but rather represent medical benefits for retirees, both current and future.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130908/NEWS01/130909553/pottstown-takes-aim-at-27m-in-medical-costs-for-retired-police#full_story

Pottstown Poised To Adopt Montgomery County As Delinquent Tax Collector, Despite Cost

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

POTTSTOWN, PA — Borough council is poised to vote Tuesday to stop getting its delinquent tax collections done by a private company and instead hire the Montgomery County Tax Claims Bureau to do it instead.

Although this method will not cost the borough any money out of pocket, neither does the current system.

However, should borough council decide instead to stay with its current collector, it would be obligated to pay the county roughly $39,000 for doing nothing.

Councilman Dan Weand, who heads council’s finance committee which recommended the change, said the taxpayers might as well get something for their money.

 

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121110/NEWS01/121119975/pottstown-poised-to-adopt-county-as-delinquent-tax-collector-despite-cost