There is a certain irony in the budget numbers delivered by Delaware County Council today.
The preliminary draft proposal calls for a 2.37 percent tax hike. If it’s passed in its current form, it will cost the average Delco homeowner another $16 bucks a year.
The irony stems from the fact that the three Republicans seeking seats on the all-GOP board in next Tuesday’s election have been running radio ads ripping two of their Democratic opponents for signing off on budgets that hike taxes.
Both Lansdowne Mayor Jayne Young and former Nether Providence Commission Lin Axamethy Floyd approved tax hikes. That put them in the crosshairs of the county GOP’s ads.
Young seems to be taking it all in stride.
“Welcome to the world of government finance, making tough but responsible decisions,” she said.
The tax hike was not unexpected. The county is dealing with the same lousy economy as everyone else, along with a huge cut in state aid for Fair Acres, the county’s nursing home, because of a change in the funding formula instituted by former Gov. Ed Rendell.
Hey, give the Republicans a little credit. They released the budget – including the potential tax hike – just days before the election, as per the mandate under the county Home Rule Charter. No doubt they would have just as easily kept this one under wraps until next week.
They also point that Young has supported tax hikes seven of the nine years she has has served in Lansdowne. Floyd OK’d tax hikes all four years of her term in Nether Providence.
The GOPers also are vowing to try to reduce or eliminate the increase included in the preliminary spending plan.
This is the first time the county has raised taxes since a 7.6 percent hike in 2009.
I’ll be very interested to see how many people show up at the public hearing on the budget plan on Dec. 7. My guess is between now and Tuesday’s election day there will be howls of protest, and that next to no one will show up for the hearing.
That’s the way these things work. No one wants to raise taxes, in particular just days before an election. I think you can safely include the GOP council ticket in that camp this morning.
The preliminary draft proposal calls for a 2.37 percent tax hike. If it’s passed in its current form, it will cost the average Delco homeowner another $16 bucks a year.
The irony stems from the fact that the three Republicans seeking seats on the all-GOP board in next Tuesday’s election have been running radio ads ripping two of their Democratic opponents for signing off on budgets that hike taxes.
Both Lansdowne Mayor Jayne Young and former Nether Providence Commission Lin Axamethy Floyd approved tax hikes. That put them in the crosshairs of the county GOP’s ads.
Young seems to be taking it all in stride.
“Welcome to the world of government finance, making tough but responsible decisions,” she said.
The tax hike was not unexpected. The county is dealing with the same lousy economy as everyone else, along with a huge cut in state aid for Fair Acres, the county’s nursing home, because of a change in the funding formula instituted by former Gov. Ed Rendell.
Hey, give the Republicans a little credit. They released the budget – including the potential tax hike – just days before the election, as per the mandate under the county Home Rule Charter. No doubt they would have just as easily kept this one under wraps until next week.
They also point that Young has supported tax hikes seven of the nine years she has has served in Lansdowne. Floyd OK’d tax hikes all four years of her term in Nether Providence.
The GOPers also are vowing to try to reduce or eliminate the increase included in the preliminary spending plan.
This is the first time the county has raised taxes since a 7.6 percent hike in 2009.
I’ll be very interested to see how many people show up at the public hearing on the budget plan on Dec. 7. My guess is between now and Tuesday’s election day there will be howls of protest, and that next to no one will show up for the hearing.
That’s the way these things work. No one wants to raise taxes, in particular just days before an election. I think you can safely include the GOP council ticket in that camp this morning.
Comments
no so, Phil. Did you watch the County Council debate? Jayne Young said she was proud of her record of tax increases. If she has any hint of regret about raising taxes 80% of the time she was mayor of Lansdowne, she sure didn't show it.