North Buffalo Township wants to attract new residents and businesses by offering tax incentives over a six-year-period. However, the Armstrong School District has delayed their plan.
by Jonathan Weaver
North Buffalo Township is looking to be the latest municipality to pass along tax savings to its residents.
Last night, the three supervisors unanimously approved a six-year Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) designation.
Supervisor Chair David Wolfe explained that the tax abatement to new businesses or residents that build to increase its property value will decrease by 20 percent after each year, starting with a full abatement.
He said local residents also chimed in on the proposal before yesterday’s vote.
“People have called – I have not received one thing against it,” Wolfe said. “They would call me, talk to me or see me on the street and ask me questions (but) once I explained it, what our plan was as far as (promoting) growth, they loved it.
“My understanding is that there was nobody out there opposing it.”
However, the past few months, Armstrong School District officials have not signed off on abatement plans yet – which worried Wolfe.
He hoped the six-year structure satisfies school directors.
“I’m hoping it puts some of the school board members’ minds at-ease that (the tax abatement) is not over a 10-year period, that there’s a greater return of tax dollars quicker in a shorter period of time,” Wolfe said.
Last month, supervisors and residents met with County Planning and Development Executive Director Rich Palilla about the advantages of a tax abatement ordinance in hopes of stimulating growth in the municipality.
Wolfe said supervisors have also conducted four executive sessions in the past month to address personnel matters – including after a street department employee left their position.
Supervisors agreed to begin advertising for full-time, part-time and/or casual employees.
A single road employee remains currently on the payroll.
Supervisors also created a road foreman position.
“That doesn’t mean we’re going to fill it right now – we’re trying to get this stuff updated and with the personnel issues we’ve been facing, we feel that this may help us,” Wolfe said.
The road foreman must also already possess a Commercial Drivers License.
Wolfe said that the biggest difference between these job duties and those of a crew leader include managerial duties to make independent decisions and judgments.