North Union adopts budget without tax increase
The North Union Township supervisors on Tuesday adopted a 2012 budget that does not increase taxes.
Supervisors unanimously approved the $2.91 million budget that maintains the current property tax rate of .447 mills.
The tax rate hasn’t been increased in more than 50 years, Supervisor Curtis Matthews said.
Supervisor Robert Tupta said taxes on a home with an assessed value of $100,000 are $44.70.
Tupta said tax dollars are spent on paving and maintaining roads, maintaining ball fields, the ongoing construction of the recreation center and other services.
“For what you’re getting, I think it’s a pretty good deal,” Tupta said.
Other taxes such as earned income, real estate transfer and mercantile taxes and fees for fire hydrants and streetlights are held at this year’s amounts in the 2012 budget.
In unrelated business, the supervisors adopted a resolution that allows Marcellus shale natural gas well companies to install temporary sewage holding tanks for employees at well sites for a fee.
The resolution requires companies to pay the township $3,000 for a tank and post a $5,000 bond, which would be refunded after the tank is removed.
Matthews said the $3,000 would cover the cost of the enforcement officer’s inspections.
Immediately after adopting the resolution, the supervisors approved a request from Chevron Appalachia for a tank on property off Bute Road.
In a separate matter, Bob Garbart, a township representative on the Greater Uniontown Joint Sewage Plant Authority, told the supervisors that the authority is developing a policy that would require developers to have a recorded land development plan before they could apply for a sewer permit.
The supervisors also voted to end extended yard waste burning, which has been permitted for the last two months.
Burning can now be done from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.