Rostraver budget holds line on taxes
ROSTRAVER TWP. — There will be no increase in taxes in Rostraver for 2017 under the ordinance approved at a special meeting Wednesday.
Property taxes will remain at 15 mils, equal to $150 of tax per $10,000 of assessed real estate value.
The taxes will support a general fund budget of $5.7 million.
The commissioners also voted to enter into a lease agreement for a 2017 truck not to exceed $34,820 to be paid over a three-year period.
During a work session held immediately following the special meeting, the commissioners were asked if they would give approval to a tax-exempt bond issue for the Monongahela Valley Hospital to purchase WillowPointe Plaza. The approval would not obligate the township in any way, nor would it affect the township’s own ability to borrow money, according to Kenneth Luttinger, an attorney for the hospital. The bond issue would be done through the Washington County Hospital Authority, Luttinger said, noting that the authority has already conducted a public hearing on the matter.
Daniel Simons, the chief financial officer for the hospital, said the hospital has rented space at WillowPointe for the the past 13 years and when the opportunity came up to purchase the building, it only made sense.
Simmons said the hospital will save approximately $200,000 a year by purchasing the building. The closing is set for late December.
“We’ll be adding some additional medical offices at that location,” Simmons said.
Simmons said the hospital intends to continue the leases of those outside agencies already renting space and will be renovating the fourth floor that previously housed the Willow Room for additional physicians’ offices.
“We don’t want to be in the catering business,” Simmons said.
The township’s finance director, Jeffrey Keffer, told the commissioners that the sale could cost the township up to $21,000 in lost tax revenue since it will now be owned by a nonprofit entity instead of merely being rented by one. Solicitor Al Gaudio said an accountant will need to be consulted to determine what portion of the building will qualify for tax-exempt status and how much will remain taxable under the new ownership. Gaudio said that it is his understanding that portions used for hospital activities would be tax exempt, while those leased to outside parties would be taxable as commercial real estate.
The commissioners also heard from Becky White of Civic Plus, a website provider for municipalities including Westmoreland County. White said her company provides secure sites with document management that would permit agendas to be both built and posted online, with recordings of meetings attached to the agendas.
“There is an alert center. You can send out notices and emails,” White said.
White said the site would also permit residents to communicate with the township, noting items such as potholes or burned out streetlights or other issues that need the attention of township officials.
White noted that Civic Plus hosted the website of Ferguson, Missouri at the time of the riots, but did not host Ferguson’s police department site.
The police site was hacked, but the city’s site was not and public notices were able to be posted and alerts sent out through the city’s website.
The commissioners are expected to take action on the hospital’s bond approval at their December meeting, at which time the website issues will also be discussed.