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Politics & Government

Upper Nazareth Supervisors Approve 2012 Budget with Tax Hike

With an approved tax hike of 83 percent, taxes will rise about $135 per year for an average property owner in the township.

Property taxes will increase by 83 percent in next year.

Upper Nazareth supervisors adopted the township's budget for 2012, which includes a property tax increase of 2.7 mills, from 3.25 mills to 5.95 mills.

That means a tax increase of $135 a year for the owner of a property assessed at $50,000.

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Supervisors adopted the $2.4 million budget and the new tax rate with little fanfare or discussion at their last regular business meeting of the year Wednesday night. About a dozen people sat in the audience for the meeting, but there was no public comment about the budget.

At meetings earlier this year, as well as explaining the reasons for the tax hike, supervisors cited the bleak economy, lack of a commercial tax base in the township and rapid residential growth -- followed by the bursting of the housing bubble -- as factors that forced them to raise taxes for next year.

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They also said that tax increases the past few years were only averted by taking money from the township's fund balance -- similar to a savings account or “rainy-day fund” for a private individual. There is not enough left in the fund balance to use to offset a tax hike in 2012.

Supervisors did not comment on the budget directly, but did give a hint of the belt-tightening austerity measures that could be in store next year.

Among items up for discussion Wednesday was sending township representatives to the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS) convention in Hershey. Most townships throughout the state send at least one representative to the May convention.

Upper Nazareth might not send anyone next year, if Supervisor Willard Mohn gets his way.

“Why not just skip it and save the money?” Mohn asked.

The board tabled discussion of the matter until its next meeting, on Jan. 3.

Township Secretary Jeri Kronstadt estimated the cost to send someone to the PSATS convention at about $900.

In other business:

The Board of Supervisors normally meet the first and third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. The first meeting in January, however -- the township's annual reorganization meeting -- will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 3, since state law requires townships to reorganize on that date.

At that meeting, James Augustine will be sworn in as Upper Nazareth's newest supervisor. He will replace Supervisor Jim Fahr, who did not seek re-election. Augustine won an uncontested election in November.

Supervisors are still looking, however, to fill two openings on the township's Board of Auditors, which sets the pay rate for supervisors who work for the township. The annual auditors' meeting will be held on Jan. 4.

Auditors must be Upper Nazareth residents who are eligible to vote. Anyone interested in the open auditors position should call the township office at (610) 759-5341.

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