NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP BUDGET MEETING -- NO GOOD NEWS FOR TAXPAYERS

There was no good news for those residents who attended last night's Newtown Board of Supervisors' meeting and waited through the township business for the budget meeting.  That means, the preliminary budget looks to have the same tax increase as previously posted with the exception of a change in the amount of transfer tax revenue(which they projected would increase another $130,000).  I didn't hear that this $130,000 in revenue should then reduce the amount of revenue expected from Real Estate taxes. Maybe this is one reduction we will see in the final budget. There is also to be a change posted to the planning and 537 planning categories but it is just a swap of expense so no change to the expenses total.

The preliminary budget retains a 3.5% salary increase for all employees.  The union(Police)had a 3.5% increase guaranteed by their contract.  The non-union employees(administrative, public works, manager etc.) are proposed to receive a 3.5% salary increase.  This is in addition to the continued full payment of medical benefits and deductibles for employees.  In effect, a double raise.  Where most in the private sector have seen their costs for medical benefits go up, the employees of Newtown Township, if this budget is finalized, will not see an increase in their medical costs.  Your tax dollars will pay the total cost.  In addition, their salaries will increase 3.5%.  Is it possible this is warranted?  Who knows?  Manager Trio did not offer any information as to total compensation for each employee nor did he have any information as to whether salaries and benefits in Newtown are comparable to other similar positions.  

The preliminary budget still contains a projection of $28,000 for Supervisor medical benefits.  In addition, the budget projects $5000 for payment of any medical deductibles for the Supervisor or Supervisors who determine they will have the taxpayers pay for their medical benefits.  The newly elected Supervisors have committed that they will not take this benefit.  Both Mr. Lambert and Mr. Wood will no longer be Supervisors in 2014 so taxpayers will not be paying their benefits.  That leaves Mr. Nawn(currently having taxpayers fund his benefits) and Mr. Catania(not currently taking benefits but no statement as to his plan for next year) and Mr. Partridge(has never taken this benefit).  No statement was made by any of the Supervisors about whether they would have taxpayers pay for their medical benefits next year.  

Other than Mr. Partridge who looked to find an item where he could increase the revenue projection, all of the other attending Supervisors(all but Mr. Wood who hasn't been at any meetings recently) seemed content with the numbers in the budget.  So, it would seem, the Supervisors are good with increased salaries, increased spending and increased benefits which means they are good with substantially increasing your taxes.  Hopefully, before they vote on the final budget, these Supervisors will find a way to get to a 0% tax increase--they can think of the taxpayers or they can continue to think of themselves.