NEWS UPDATE for the week of December 22, 2008

General Information



Mortgage morass

Borrowers in Lawnside and Willingboro, as well as parts of Camden and Philadelphia , are falling behind loans at frightening rates this year, according to an Inquirer analysis of the latest mortgage data. Payments on at least one-in-four dollars of mortgages were still unpaid after 30 days, as of Sept. 30. Experts said mortgage problems were less severe in Philadelphia 's Pennsylvania suburbs than in South Jersey because houses in Burlington , Camden and Gloucester Counties were generally less expensive. Click here to view home loan data from your area.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 12/14/08



Bucks County



Ivyland taxes going up

Real estate taxes in Ivyland will be increased by 1 mill for 2009. The $594,000 budget for next year includes a 10.25 mill tax rate. Property values in the borough dropped by about 1 percent in 2008 thanks to a record number of reassessments, and as a result, the 800-resident borough was forced to raise property taxes for the first time in three years.

Source: The Intelligencer; 12/17/08



Sellersville increases taxes by 12 percent

Borough council approved a $1.9 million budget for 2009 that includes a 1 mill increase in property taxes for Sellersville residents. The 12 percent increase equates to a $326.38 tax bill for the owner of a property assessed at the borough average of $35,000. Water and sewer rates will remain the same, as will trash collection fees for borough residents.

Source: News Herald; 12/15/08



Milford taxes hold steady

Supervisors in Milford Township approved the final $3.6 million budget for 2009 with no increase in property taxes despite a $500,000 budget shortfall. The township will draw from its $3.25 million reserve fund to make up for the shortfall. The tax rate will remain at 2 mills.

Source: The Intelligencer; 12/17/08



Doylestown Borough raises taxes

Borough council adopted a $4.9 million budget that includes a 2 mill tax increase for 2009. Faced with a $400,000 deficit for 2009, council opted to increase taxes and use $200,000 in reserves rather than rely completely on its $7.4 million reserve fund, which caused some controversy among council members. The 2 mill tax increase bumps borough property taxes up by 23 percent to 10.725 mills. The average homeowner with a home assessed at $26,000 can expect to pay $278.85 in taxes in 2009.

Source: The Intelligencer; 12/16/08



Tax hike slated for Morrisville Borough

Residents of Morrisville can expect to pay $70 more in property taxes in 2009 after council approved a $5.77 million spending plan for 2009. The budget included a property tax rate increase of 3.5 mills, from 35.93 mills to 39.43 mills. A property owner with a home assessed at the borough average of $20,000 will pay $788 in taxes in 2009.

Source: The Intelligencer; 12/17/08



Chester County



West Chester Borough officials seeking ways to promote attainable housing

To help preserve socioeconomic diversity, council members are considering hiring a consultant to study ways to promote attainable housing. Officials fear nurses, police, teachers and other service industry professionals are already beginning to be priced out of the borough. Commissioning an attainable housing study was discussed at the Dec. 9 meeting of the borough's Planning, Zoning, Business and Professional Development committee. The study is estimated to cost $30,000 and could be paid for by county and state grants, committee members suggested. Borough officials acknowledged that, compared to neighboring townships, West Chester has a good amount of attainable housing. They noted more than a third of West Chester 's residents are "cost-stressed," which means they pay more than 30 percent of their income on their mortgage or more than 40 percent of their income toward their rent.

Source: Daily Local; 12/17/08



Coatesville City Council passes rear address ordinance

Coatesville City Council passed a law last week that requires property owners to post address numbers on the rear of their homes or businesses if the property can be accessed by a street or alley. Codes Director Damalier Molina asked council to require rear house numbers to help his inspectors properly cite property owners for violations, such as rubbish or graffiti. Without the numbers, Molina said, inspectors have had trouble determining at which property a violation was occurring and have accidentally cited the wrong property owners for violations. The ordinance will go into effect 30 days from the Dec. 8 vote. Property owners have until January 7 to display numbers in back of their buildings if there is road access. A cited violator could face fines of $100 to $1,000. A district judge would determine the amount.

Source: Daily Local;



Valhalla challenge fails to gain footing in Wallace

A legal challenge regarding the controversial zoning amendment related to a developer's plans failed to get off the ground Wednesday night after there were several objections to the challenge itself. The challenge to the Planned Country Club Community (PCCC) zoning amendment was filed in September by attorney Jordan Yeager on behalf of the Guardians of Brandywine. The challenge argues that the ordinance improperly favors one developer and would hurt the township's rural character and pristine environment.

The ordinance, which was enacted by the township in August, paved the way for the 606-acre Valhalla Brandywine project proposed by developer Albert M. Greenfield III. The plan calls for residences, a boutique-spa hotel, private and public guest suites, and private and public dining facilities with a private country club and golf course. Discussion over this challenge has been postponed until 7 p.m. Jan. 27.

Source: Daily Local; 12/19/08



West Chester Borough officials cold on condominium plan

A developer wants to build 89 condominiums and three times as many parking spaces on the former Davis Lumber Co. site off Bernard and Franklin streets. But when Dan Daley of E. B. Walsh and Associates, the proposed developer, presented his proposal Tuesday to the borough's planning, zoning, business and industrial development committee, Borough Council members offered plenty of critiques. Council members questioned the suburban nature of the plan and expressed concern that it would not fit in with West Chester 's historic, urban character. The Davis proposal is by-right, meaning it is consistent with current zoning and does not require Borough Council to enact a zoning change. The Planning Commission approved the proposal. But its members said they want to continue to talk to Walsh to make the project a better fit for West Chester . Walsh needs several further approvals before construction on the project can begin. At the moment, the condominiums are expected to sell for $250,000, according to the developer.

Source: Daily Local; 12/14/08



Delaware County



Newtown approves full-time codes officer

The preliminary 2009 budget will add a full time code enforcement officer to Newtown Township ’s list of employees. A tentative annual salary of $40,000 plus benefits (for a total expenditure of about $70,000) has been attached to the new post. That expense would be “dwarfed” by the new revenue a full-time code enforcement officer would bring in through enforcement of the township’s code book, according to Supervisor Dr. H. Ross Lambert. The additional staff position will require reworking the preliminary budget figures, and possibly require an increase in the proposed 0.079 mill property tax hike.

Source: Delco Times; 12/16/08



Airport expansion talks begin

Talks between the county, Tinicum Township officials and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter began last week in an attempt to come to some agreement over a proposed Capacity Enhancement Plan (CEP) at Philadelphia International Airport . There are two alternatives for the CEP — one of which would add a new runway — with a projected cost between $5.2 billion and $5.4 billion, according to a draft environmental statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. In its present form, the plan would displace at least 72 residences and 3,300 jobs from Tinicum, including the relocation of a UPS facility.

Source: Delco Times; 12/13/08



Nether Providence passes tax hike

After conducting line-item-by-line-item reviews that one official described as “agonizing,” the township board of commissioners has approved a 2009 budget containing a 3.82 percent tax increase. The tax hike was one of the lowest in recent years. For a home assessed at the township median price of $160,000, the new budget will translate into a $22 tax increase, bringing the average municipal tax bill to $602 in 2009, and a total millage rate of 3.76. As recently as last month, the commissioners were still considering a proposed tax increase of about 18 percent. Among the most notable changes in the final version of the budget are the elimination of the township’s summer recreation program — a 6 percent reduction in funding for several prominent Nether Providence organizations and a trimming of police overtime.

Source: Delco Times; 12/19/08



East Lansdowne taxes are going up in 2009

Taxes and trash and sewer fees are going up in East Lansdowne Borough next year. The $1.5 million 2009 preliminary budget was presented at council’s meeting recently with adoption planned for 7 p.m. Dec. 29. The average homeowner with a house assessed at $70,000 paying $656 in taxes this year, will pay $770 in 2009, a $114 increase. Russo announced the trash fee was increased from $95 to $135 and sewer fee hiked from $150 to $240, a $90 increase.

Source: Delco Times; 12/18/08


Marple Township increasing taxes 5.4 percent in 2009

After holding the line since 2005, the commissioners voted to raise real-estate taxes for next year by 5.4 percent, from 3.4 to 3.58 mills. With the average house in the township assessed at $159,000, the typical tax bill will increase by $28, from $541 to $569. The figure was in sharp contrast to the 16 percent hike indicated in the preliminary budget.

Source: Delco Times; 12/17/08



Darby Twp. budget calls for tax hike

Darby Township Commissioners recently approved a $4,289,014 general budget for the upcoming year, which calls for a 1-mill tax increase of all township residents. Commissioners cite an increase in insurance and fuel-related operating expenses, as well as loss of revenues from property taxes and deed transfers as causes for the tax increase.

Source: Delco Times; 12/17/08



Montgomery County



Hatfield Township purchases 10 acres of open space

Hatfield Township was awarded a $229,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the purchase of the Kratz property along Line Lexington Road. The property has an appraised value of $435,000, so the township expects to receive additional grant money from the Montgomery County open space program. The tract will be used for passive recreation with the possibility of a trail linking it to School Road Park in the future.

Source: The Intelligencer; 12/18/08



Taxes hold steady for Hatboro residents

For the fifth straight year, taxes will remain the same in Hatboro Borough. Council approved the $4.5 million 2009 budget without raising the 7.358 mill tax rate, despite a 2.8 percent increase in spending form the 2008 budget. For the average resident with a home assessed at $118,000, the property tax bill for 2009 would be approximately $868.

Source: The Intelligencer; 12/17/08



Budget passes in Rockledge, no tax increase for 2009

Residents of Rockledge will continue to pay 4.35 mills in property taxes for 2009 after borough council passed the $1.72 million budget. A homeowner with a property valued at the borough average of $125,000 will pay $543 in municipal property taxes. Rockledge residents can expect their sewer bills to increase, as the council set the annual residential sanitary sewer fee at $170 per dwelling; doubling the current fee of $85 per dwelling.

Source: The Globe; 12/17/08