Allentown School Taxes To Rise 2.6 Percent

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

Questions. Motions. Votes.

Then silence swallowed the room as the audience counted and realized the Allentown School Board had rejected Russ Mayo’s first budget as superintendent in a stunning 5-4 vote Thursday.

“OK,” board President Robert E. Smith Jr. said. “Now what do we do? We need a budget. We need to do something.”

When another idea failed, the directors voted again on Mayo’s spending plan, which raises taxes 2.6 percent, or 1.3 mills, to 49.3 mills for the next school year. This time they passed it.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-allentown-schools-budget-627-20120628,0,4984180.story

Pottstown Isn’t Alone In Revenue Freefall

Here is an interesting article from the York Dispatch regarding the plight of cities in Pennsylvania.  Cities (and boroughs) need other sources of revenue besides the antiquated property tax system which is leaving many communities cash strapped because of falling property values.  Sound familiar Pottstown residents??

http://www.yorkdispatch.com/yd/local/ci_14193929