Bellwood Borough Council adopted Ordinance #456 setting the tax millage rate for the year 2003 at 22.5 mills for general purposes and 1.5 mills for fire protection for an overall property tax millage of 24 mills.
The 2003 property tax millage has not increased from 2002.
Borough Solicitor Lee Oswalt stated that borough council works really hard to keep taxes level without increasing them.
“They do this by being prudent in their expenditures,” Oswalt said. “It’s very important to borough council because it is very important to the citizens of Bellwood. There’s a number of older people in the borough who are on fixed income and the last thing they can really afford is a tax increase.”
Oswalt noted, “I commend council’s efforts for not increasing the property tax millage for yet another year.”
Borough council also approved the EMC policy for workers compensation renewal presented by April Ressler from Reed, Wertz & Roadman. The renewal is at an increase of 23 percent.
“It’s something we have to renew every year,” said council president Wayne Snare. “There is a 23 percent increase, but that’s the way the insurance is going. Everybody’s insurance is going up.”
Council likewise adopted the policies to be rescheduled for the January renewal.
Bellwood Borough Council also discussed M&T Bank’s desire to purchase a small piece of property located where the old humpback bridge on North Cambria Street was located.
“They just want a very small piece of property to make the M&T Bank wheelchair accessible,” said councilperson Sue Johnson. “They have to give me blueprints of the design for the wheelchair ramp and as to what they want to buy.”
Council agreed that providing a small piece of property to make the bank wheelchair accessible is good for both the town and M&T Bank.
In the council’s public comment session, borough residents Mark Long and Jeff Campbell approached council to address the need for erecting a four way stop sign at the intersections of East 4th Street and South Tuckahoe, East 5th Street and South Tuckahoe and East 5th Street and East Antis.
Safety is a concern to the residents of the area stating that traffic has increased due to the new Route 865 bridge, along with an increase in vehicles speeding the area.
Long contacted Ted Smay from PENNDOT about the possibility of a traffic study being conducted, and he asked council to follow up on the study. Council agreed to ask PENNDOT to conduct a traffic study at the intersections of the above streets to possible deal with the problem.
In other business:
• Council adopted resolution 12-02-02A. Member contribution to the pension plan for the Chief of Police, Police Lieutenant and the full time officer be made by the borough through the Foreign Casualty Tax Revenue.
• Council adopted 12-02-02 setting certain fees and costs for the year 2003.
• Council tabled the re-appointment of Tom Lechner to the Authority Board Appointment until next month. Lechner currently hold that position and will continue to serve until approved for re-appointment.
• Motion was passed to retain all taxes promulgated under Act 511 (occupational privilege tax, per capita tax and wage taxes).
• Motion was passed to transfer $5000 each from the general fund, the water fund and the sewer fund to the equipment fund.
• Bellwood Police Department released its November incident report of 425 charged incidents by borough police. Its October reimbursement for local fines from District Justice Fred Miller totaled $649.31.
