Scott Township Might Raise Taxes

property taxes could increase next year because of road paving projects and uncertainty about how the new home assessments will affect revenue.

discussed raising property taxes by 0.7 mills during their Tuesday night workshop meeting because of uncertain revenue figures when the assessment numbers are released by Allegheny County early next year.

“Unfortunately, we have no idea when the numbers are coming in and what the numbers will be,” Commissioner Tom Castello said. “We’re playing with magic numbers.”

If the tax increase is approved at the Dec. 27 voting meeting, a property owner with a home assessed at $150,000 would pay an extra $105 per year. Township property taxes are currently 5 mills.

The current budget proposal anticipates spending $9.9 million, while only receiving $8.45 million in revenue. That gap would be filled by using 75 percent of the township’s reserve fund.

But Commissioner Bill Wells said the budgeted expenditures are greatly overestimated and the expected revenue figures are far too conservative.

“Maybe we need to look at these figures,” Wells said. “Maybe we don’t need a tax increase.”

Township Manager Denise Fitzgerald said the township’s budgets are typically “conservative in revenues and aggressive in expenditures” in the event of unforeseen factors. In fact, the 2011 budget anticipated a $1.4 million deficit that now is expected to turn into a $200,000 surplus.

Wells said there have been similar discrepancies in the budget for the past four years and that he thinks the figures need to be rewritten to address actual expenditures and anticipated income.

Castello disputed that, saying they put off hiring two public works employees and made other cuts that ultimately led to a surplus this year.

“The money isn’t hidden. It’s not just showing up,” Castello said. “We’ve been very conservative.”

Commissioner David Jason said many roads in the township are falling apart and they need to spend money to reconstruct them. The township spent very little money replacing them this year, so it’s expected to spend $625,000 on road projects in 2012.

The board will vote on the 2012 budget on Dec. 27 at 6 p.m. To view one of the budget proposals, go to www.scott-twp.com and click the icon on the left of the screen.

Also during the meeting…

• Commissioner James Walther stunned the board when he announced at the end of the meeting he was resigning from his seat. The board likely will accept his resignation at the next meeting and then must appoint his replacement.

• Adam Helf and Patrick Hindman were sworn in as at the beginning of the meeting. Helf previously worked as a Heidelberg police officer while Hindman worked in Pittsburgh. “I definitely would like to thank Scott Township police for taking a chance on me and hiring me, and I hope I can live up to their standards,” Hindman said.

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