J
the
ournal-herald THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2022 • Volume 42 – No. 19 ©2023, THE JOURNAL-HERALD. All Rights Reserved
CONTINUING: THE WHITE HAVEN JOURNAL ESTABLISHED 1879–144th YEAR, NO. 6
SINGLE COPY– 75¢ (USPS 277440)
CONTINUING: THE WEATHERLY HERALD ESTABLISHED 1880–143rd YEAR, NO. 32
Taxes hold in Weatherly, new homesites discussed by Seth Isenberg
Weatherly Borough taxpayers will pay the same base tax rate as the last eight years. Weatherly Council, at their meeting on December 28, approved a $6,384,567 budget that balances without a tax increase. Council also approved the 2023 tax resolution, which has borough taxpayers paying 6.3 mills in basic tax, 1% each of earned income tax and real estate transfer tax (shared with the Weatherly Area School District), a local services tax that supports emergency responders of $52, and a $5 per capita tax. The monthly garbage fee is the only borough fee that goes up — by $5 per month — with the start of the
NEW PA REPRESENTATIVE for White Haven and the whole 117th District Mike Cabell is shown with his wife, Chelsea, and sons Julian and Theo, on swearing-in day, January 3, at the state house in Harrisburg. At right, he signs the register.
new contract with Tamaqua Transfer. A couple of new homes are due to rise at the edges of the borough. One is to the southeast of Seventh Street where the property owner has asked the borough to vacate paper streets that cross the new homesite’s property. There was discussion, and the result was that the request will be approved once a petition is formally made, with the property owner providing a release from any damages from the action and paying for all costs. The second homesite is on Fitz Lane, which is the borough line, proposed to be built in Lehigh Township. The owners asked PPL to install electricity, and the company declined. There is a Weatherly borough power line up the road to provide for homes farther along that road on the Weatherly side. The owner came to the borough to see if power could be supplied by Weatherly. To provide electricity to this property, borough manager Harold Pudliner explained, the borough will need a waiver from
the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission. The Harrisburg-based law firm of Salzmann Hughes can navigate the PUC processes for the homeowner, who has agreed to pay all costs and made a $5,000 deposit towards them. Council voted to contract with Salzmann Hughes, with the expectation that there will be no costs to the borough. The new homeowner will also pay to have the electricity lines extended to the home, a run that will include “a few” new power poles, and will pay Weatherly for the power supplied. Mauch Chunk Trust offered the best rate, 4.5%, to borrow $90,000 for a tax anticipation note for early 2023 to be used to fund operations until taxes start coming in. Two other banks submitted rates. In other business, bills of $220,529 were approved. Council voted unanimously to approve the contributions for the Police and NonUniform Pension funds for 2023 (both are fully funded).