Monday, May 13, 2013
With one member absent, Bethlehem Area School Board casts preliminary final budget vote.
The Bethlehem Area School Board voted Monday night to increase the district’s school real estate tax by 2.1 percent, though the final budget the board adopts in June could have a larger increase. With one member absent, the board first deadlocked 4-4 on a 2.4 percent tax increase that would have added five full-day kindergarten classes. Board member Sudantha Vidanage was absent due to a family emergency, according to Board President Mike Faccinetto. Board member Basilio Bonilla said Vidanage had written that he was in favor of the higher increase, but that did not count at Monday’s meeting. Monday’s vote was a preliminary budget adoption, which under state law is required to be done at least 30 days before the final budget is passed. The…
Friday, December 21, 2012
In final meeting of 2012, Bethlehem City Council votes 6-1 in favor of a $71 million budget and a 7 percent real estate tax hike.
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Friday, December 21, 2012
Bethlehem City Council voted to adopt a 2013 budget with a 7 percent real estate tax increase and a new tax on concert and event tickets on Thursday night, according to The Express Times. Councilman David DiGiacinto was the lone dissenter in the 6-1 vote in favor of adoption, the newspaper reported. Some facts about the $71 million spending plan:
Thursday, December 20, 2012
After 20 hours of budget hearings and weeks of deliberations, City Council is expected to cast its final budget vote at tonight's meeting at 7.
Bethlehem City Council is expected to adopt a budget for 2013 spending and revenues – and a new real estate tax rate – during a meeting at 7 tonight in Town Hall. After weeks of deliberations between the mayor, council members and other key stakeholders and about 20 hours of budget hearings, here is what you need to know about the 2013 Bethlehem budget:
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
With garbage collection issue settled, Bethlehem City Council votes to increase real estate taxes by 7 percent; rejects mayor's proposal to cut their health benefits.
Bethlehem City Council on Monday night voted to kill Mayor John Callahan’s proposal to hire – by the end of 2013 – a single hauler to cart away residential garbage. In its final budget hearing of the season, council also voted in favor of a 7 percent real estate tax hike. That is lower than the 8.5 percent increase Callahan initially suggested in the budget proposal he made on Nov. 9. Callahan came to the last budget session armed with a proposal to cut the tax hike to 5.1 percent, but council rejected the mayor’s tax proposal along with a couple of new administration proposals for budget cuts – such as an elimination of health care benefits for City Council members. In rejecting the mayor’s controversial proposal for a single-hauler …
Monday, November 19, 2012
City Council to begin discussion tonight on proposals to switch to a single garbage hauler and to raise the real estate tax by 8.5 percent.
City Council tonight will have the first of four scheduled hearings to discuss the 2013 budget proposal of Mayor John Callahan. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in Town Hall. With overall General Fund revenue on the agenda, all three of the most controversial aspects of the proposed spending plan are likely to be discussed to some degree during tonight’s hearing: Other items and department budgets scheduled to be discussed during tonight’s hearing include: Council is scheduled to discuss its 911 Fund during a budget hearing on Nov. 27. Trash hauling will be discussed again on Dec. 4 when Department of Community and Economic Development is on the agenda. The final council budget hearing is scheduled on Dec. 17. Final adoption …
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Bethlehem Area School Board approves new 2012-13 budget with a tax increase of 2.17 mills.
The Bethlehem Area School Board made official an anticipated 4.84 percent real estate tax hike for the 2012-13 school year on Monday night. The 2.17-mill increase was approved by a 6-3 vote, with board members Michele Cann, Irene Follweiler and Eugene McKeon dissenting. The new school tax rate is 47.09 mills, meaning that a taxpayer with a home assessed at $50,000 will see their school tax bill go up by a little more than $100. “I am truly confused and appalled that anyone can raise taxes at a rate of 4.8 percent in this economy today,” Follweiler said. “I feel sorry for the children of this district because they will be paying for this action for the rest of their lives.” Two parents got up to thank the board for adopting a budget that …
Carmen
11:26 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013
Ridiculous-let's put more burdens on the homeowners many who are elderly on fixed incomes or may be out of work more ›