North Union supervisors not interested in negotiating tax settlements
While the Laurel Highlands School Board has met in recent weeks to negotiate a settlement with several business owners that have failed to pay mercantile tax, the North Union Township supervisors said Tuesday they have no intention of negotiating. Supervisors voted to authorize solicitor Donald McCue to send a letter to Laurel Highlands Superintendent Dr. Ronald Sheba and members of the school board telling them the township is not interested in a negotiated settlement, and the supervisors are prepared to go to court to get the full amount in delinquent mercantile taxes owed to the township.
Supervisor Tom Kumor said the township received a letter from Central Tax Bureau outlining the $800,000 to be split between the township and the school district. The letter stated that supervisors had also met with the business owners, but Kumor said none of the supervisors met to discuss a settlement, nor were they interested in discussions.
“This $400,000 means a lot to the township,” he said. “After the winter we’ve had, we could sure use that money.”
Kumor said one of the businesses that has failed to pay mercantile taxes is Thurby Lincoln-Mercury, and Joe Thurby was one of four business owners who met with the school board in executive session last month about potential litigation related to the mercantile tax issue.
Kumor did not name the four other businesses involved in the issue because he said they were not listed on the letter the supervisors received from Central Tax Bureau. According to earlier reports, other business owners who met with the school board Feb. 20 were Lawrence Filiaggi, Gary Sisson and Jim Nickman Jr.
He said the supervisors should know more on the issue by their April 8 meeting.
In other matters, the supervisors awarded a $42,775 contract to El Grande Industries Inc. of Monongahela for improvements to the storm sewers along Devan Avenue to Chaffee Street. Of the six bidders, El Grande was the low bidder, though the next lowest bidder, 3-D Development Inc., came in just $295 higher.
The work is the second phase of improvements in the Devan Avenue area, which is prone to runoff and poor drainage in areas, Kumor said.
Supervisors also discussed snow removal this winter, and said people who do not maintain decorum or are repeatedly abusive when speaking with the supervisors or the office clerk could be charged with harassment by communication. All three supervisors said several abusive phone calls were made to the township after the severe snowstorm of Feb. 16 and 17 about road conditions, particularly the fact that secondary streets and alleys had not been treated or plowed.
Supervisor John Mateosky said five contractors were hired to help township workers clear the roads, but the falling snow and high winds made the job very tough. As a result of the intense snow a few weeks back, Kumor said the supervisors are working to develop a list of operators who could be helpful when the snow accumulates as much as it did Feb. 16 and 17 to try and be ahead of the snow as much as possible.
“We certainly were up against it, as were all the townships,” he said. “We used every piece of equipment we had.”
Before adjourning, supervisors voted to install a Yield sign along Silver Maple Lane at the intersection with Oak Street, voted to donate $1,500 to the Hopwood Village Project toward the purchase of an antique streetlight, and voted to extend burning of yard waste throughout April from dusk to dawn every day except Sundays to help property owners with spring cleanup.