Newtown Budget Workshop Waste of Residents' Time

Three of the members of the Board of Supervisors must have received the memo that should have been provided to Newtown residents. That would be the memo letting them know that last night's budget meeting would be a colossal waste of their time. This is because Mr. Lambert, Mr. Nawn and Mr. Wood did not attend the workshop.  Apparently, Mr. Lambert was in New York, Mr. Nawn was teaching a class and noone seemed to know why Mr. Wood was not in attendance.

The Board of Supervisors set the date for this and other Budget meetings and then didn't show up. Manager Trio showed up without a proposed recommended budget or even a handout for residents with highlights of the discussion.  I've provided the Radnor Township Manager Recommended budget already available on their website.  Newtown residents have no recommended budget at all.

The meeting turned out to be about an hour of random discussion by Township Manager Trio and Supervisors Catania and Partridge. Mr. Catania then abruptly adjourned the meeting without providing residents an opportunity to ask questions or offer comments. 

This random discussion offered some information.  That Local Services Taxes collected will not likely meet the budgeted revenue amount.  The reason given was that some of the budgeted revenue would come into the township after the first of the year as it is paid quarterly.  This reason makes no sense--local services tax collection has been a problem made worse over the past couple years.  The Board of Supervisors hired a firm to collect the local services tax that essentially went bankrupt. According to Manager Trio, the current firm is on target except that they are not meeting the revenue projections.
 
Mr. Catania mused on the ambulance service indicating that everyone is happy with the service. He didn't explain where the 2nd ambulance that was supposed to be part of the contract with Riddle/Main Line Health was now. And once again, Mr. Trio indicated that the collections rate for ambulance payment should now be better because they have hired a new firm to collect these payments.  They chose the old firm, they are responsible for the ambulance service selection and management.  Yet, collections are not what they should be, the ambulance's engine apparently had to be replaced this year and if you do not have medical benefits currently and need an ambulance ride, you will receive a bill for about $2000--a rate that is set by Riddle/Main Line Health not by the Supervisors and Township Management.

Residents learned last night that Mr. Trio thinks that the Supervisors' medical benefits may be less next year, not eliminated, but reduced.  He suggested two of the Supervisors would take these benefits.  Since all of the candidates said they would not take benefits and Mr. Partridge has not taken benefits, I guess Mr. Nawn and Mr. Catania want residents to pay for their health benefits(I'm still trying to find out if this includes prescription, vision and dental coverage along with medical)? There was no discussion of whether the Supervisors and/or employees would have to provide any payment for their medical benefits.  Currently, they pay no co-insurance and the township pays their deductible such that they receive their health benefits without any contribution to their cost.

There was no discussion of having the Township participate in the state unemployment insurance.  Newtown continues to self insure.  That means, taxpayers pay the full unemployment insurance amount if an employee is let go. Finally, residents learned that the possible budget only provided to the Supervisors last night is short $300,000-$350,000 in revenue.  Residents will now have to wait until the next Budget workshop  to find out if there will be a tax increase or if the budget can be balanced without a tax increase.