Tonite no bus came at 5 pm to the Pennsbury Middle school fields to pick up the Soccer and Field Hockey kids. This isn't the first time this has happened. The bus came 1 hr late only after complaints from parents with stranded kids.
What's going on with the elementary school Reading Specialist situation? It sounds like another one of those "not a cut" cuts might be happening. I'd appreciate any insight anyone knowledgeable can provide.
I don't think early education reading assistance is something you want to mess around with. Have you seen the PSSA Reading scores?
The hard thing about comparing PSSA scores for one year to the next is that the kids taking them have changed. So they don't accuracy show gains or losses since the previous year. They show where this group of kids are at a certain grade. The 2010 3rd grades are the 2011 4th graders (assuming no one moved in or out) Taking a new test based on their current grade standards.
I think there were changes in title one funding and a retirement.
Here is another comparison based on above comments about dificulty of comparing scores. Not any better than initial comparison. Check out 4th to 5th grade score changes.
It is difficult to make those comparisons. Everything can be parced until nothing means anything, and anything means nothing. So, perhaps, people should be more careful when formulating campaign slogans?
Independent of the PSSA scores, what's going on with the Reading Specialist? PSSA scores aren't the only reason I'm concerned.
Anonymous before me, your comment was in the "spam" folder for some reason, and I didn't see it and release it until after I posted mine. You were really first. Brilliant work ;)
But seriously, what up with the Reading Specialist?
there's a problem & more understanding is surfacing about the exact nature of the actual problem that's why no one is saying too much because the majority is just now realizing how where and why we are faced with the problems we have we are not unique the same problems are happening all over the nation we have power driven greed mongers that sit in higher places they control and decide what will be our future the people are getting angry and they are acting out in some places because they have finally had it surface and they know nothing can be done they are listening with their whole being not just their ears and their egos they know the truth it has reached their core we are down here and we are going to have to figure it out and we should stop fighting over the left overs and crumbs it will only get worse listen to the honest experts and strap on your battle fatigue and prepare for the final round GOT JESUS?!?He gives wisdom strength and victory to all who call out to Him thats all we need LOVE He fills the empty with promise & abundant LIFE
Would this be the bus company's 3rd and final strike against them? Although I wasn't at the meeting, I watched the video of it on the SB website. I remember the CPA saying they would be done if anything else happened. I'm waiting on the edge of my seat to see what happens now, this close to Election Day. Okay...maybe not on the edge of my seat.
I think this is a different bus company (First Student) than the one the board contracted to do Tech School transport (Delaware Valley Alternative High School).
First Student doesn't have a limit on how many strikes it can accumulate.
Ron Burgundy: Hey, let’s leave the mothers out of this. It’s unnecessary. Besides, I’m sure Wes here is just upset over finishing second in the ratings again.
Wes Mantooth:That’s completely uncalled for, Burgundy. You know those rating systems are flawed. They don’t take into account houses that have more than two television sets and other things of that nature.
Ron Burgundy: I guess I have to take you at your word, Number Two.
Wes Mantooth: Hey, Burgundy. You know those sample audiences aren’t big enough! Stop hiding behind those phony numbers, Burgundy!
Not the same bus company? Well I guess the bad service boils down to the fact that you get what you pay for. Morrisville School Board always looking for the lowest cost without any mind to quality. Add to that the lack of quality communication in prety much every astpect of day to day business done by the administration and school board. Real Efficient Guys!!!
NOpe. Can't even do that. I've seen too many cuts in excellent capable staff while those who are almost completely incompetent being given salary increases. And don't forget the creation of a communications director position given to somene who actually gets in the way of the communications. Just my opinion but but I've been dealing with this for a while and it is awful. It really needs to change.
That's not just your opinion, it's a valid one shared by many who are regularly involved and have to interact with the schools and the board on a regular basis. The teachers and staff are great overall. They're not the problem.
You get what you pay for. WHat do I care? Whose being burned and inconvenienced by these snafus? Parents and kids. That's not me. I pocket the savings. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ah ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"You get what you pay for. WHat do I care? Whose being burned and inconvenienced by these snafus? Parents and kids. That's not me. I pocket the savings. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ah ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
These kids are going to be the ones who are only qualified to be low-level employees at your nursing home. Let's hope they don't confuse your oxygen line with your feeding tube.
I'll have my people contact your people on that one at some point with an unsatisfying 'we'll do better next time the horse is already out of the open barn door' kind of answer. This is not to imply that we will begin using horses to transport your sons and daughters.
Oh, OK. Thanks for pointing that out, because that wasn't clear to me. I thought it was in the context of PSSA scores. And that's supposed to satisfy peoples' concerns about Reading Specialist instruction at the elementary level?
Let me guess, the changes in Title 1 funding were DECREASES?
And so someone retired. Let me guess, they weren't replaced?
I AM REPOSTING THIS FROM FACEBOOK SO EVERYONE CAN SEE....
Don't forget -- WELCOME HOME HERO....This Saturday, Octoaber 22nd, we will welcome home our own Marine, Matthew Jones. Matthew, has recently returned from Afghanistan. This Saturday, he will be escorted from Philadelphia Airport to his home at 591 Rosemar Drive, Morrisville, at 11:00am. We are being invited to begin on Rosesmar Drive and make our way down West Trenton AVenue in all our glory. Please share this message with everyone you know that might like to say THANKS. Sincerely, Morrisville United Methodist Church.
“Across America, our servicemen and women will be reunited with their families,” Obama said. “Today, I can say that our troops in Iraq will definitely be home for the holidays.”
Buses break down and drivers sometimes get lost. That I can understand. But dropping off the kids and not returning to pick them up? Totally unacceptable. Unless there's a REEEEAALLY good explanation, 1 strike and you're out, in my book.
The welcome home celebration was great. I am so glad I went. I am not posting with my name. I want no credit. All honor goes to local hero Marine Matthew Jones. Welcome home. Thank you for your service to our country.
Congrats Matt Jones and your family for a safe return. Thanks to all those who honored him with a heart warming escort into town. So honored to have been there with my son to witness it.
RE; the bus , in baseball 3 strikes and your out, but in bowling 10 strikes and your PERFECT. Thank GOD for a school board with the BALLS to stay in the gutters!
Thank God for SIC and a school board that will save me a $1.00 increase in taxes at the expense of the entire borough's property values and the education and welfare of future generations.
Many thanks and a hearty welcome home to SSgt Matthew Jones. I was also there with my family and am so glad we went. It was a very moving experience; not nearly as much as it was for his family, I'm sure. I am so glad one of our brave neighborhood heroes came home safe.
Posted: Sunday, October 23, 2011 5:55 am | Updated: 7:41 am, Sun Oct 23, 2011. By BEN FINLEY Staff writer | 0 comments Sure, Matthew Jones saw a few mortar shells hit the ground in Afghanistan. He watched some roadside bombs blow up in Iraq. But his best war stories contain little action. They’re about handing a can of Red Bull, the energy drink, to a battle-hardened Marine. Or offering that Marine a tin of anchovies and a pack of smokes. Perhaps the newest issue of FHM magazine. “A thing of shower gel is huge to them,” said Jones, himself a Marine staff sergeant. “They appreciate every little thing they can get.” Jones, a Morrisville native, just spent seven months in Afghanistan. As a Marine for more than 11 years, he has served in various capacities and outfits across the globe. Most of his duties have focused on troop morale. On Saturday, during a 10-day visit to his hometown, Jones described an aspect of the Marines that rarely finds its way into a movie script. “Our job was to support the grunts, the infantry fighting from house to house,” Jones said, describing his time providing some of the comforts of home to troops in Afghanistan. “It gives them a little bit more morale to keep pushing forward, which makes for a more efficient fighting force.” Jones, 29, joined the Marines when he was 17, even before he graduated from Morrisville High School in 2000. He first became a cook. On Sept. 11, 2001, he was stationed in Washington, D.C., near where the Pentagon was attacked. “That made me want to stay in the Marine Corps even more,” he said. Jones was stationed for a while in Hawaii before he was deployed in Iraq in the mid-2000s. From 2007 to 2010, Jones served as a Marine recruiter in Lansdale, Montgomery County. “It was the most challenging job I ever did,” he said. “I put about 60 Marines in.” The hardest part was convincing the parents. “They’re protective. I have a daughter myself,” Jones said. “I showed them my love for the Marine Corps and what it did for me — the leadership skills and technical skills I learned and the educational opportunities I never would have had.” His deployment to Afghanistan came next. Jones encountered a few of the Marines he signed up in Lansdale. On Nov. 1, he and his wife Jennifer, from Northeast Philadelphia, and their daughter will move to Beaufort, South Carolina. He will be stationed at Parris Island, where many of the country’s Marine recruits are trained. There, he will become a gunnery sergeant with the Marine Corps Air Station. Jones, who will have 15 Marines serving under him, will be in charge of all of the base’s restaurants. “He has just matured so much in the time that he has been in the Marine corps,” said Jones’ father, Bob Jones. “And you can tell that he has really taken this as a life story. He’s committed himself to this more so than I’ve seen him commit anything else in his life. And of course his mother and I are extremely proud.”
Posted: Sunday, October 23, 2011 12:15 am | Updated: 8:51 am, Sun Oct 23, 2011. 0 comments Over the past few municipal elections, Morrisville residents have voted in new faces to borough council. These Council members have worked as a team to tackle tough issues, keep taxes down, and improve our quality of life in Morrisville. Times change and new situations are encountered that require a fresh perspective on how to respond. It requires a collaborative approach that results in positive outcomes.
We have seen how dysfunctional, divided government creates no action -- to the dismay of all. In Morrisville, we are fortunate to have the ability to prevent that from happening here. By electing Dave Rivella, Nancy Sherlock, Rhonda Davis and Jeff Johnson in November, we can keep the momentum going and continue to improve our community. With the leadership of council President Dave Rivella and former President Nancy Sherlock, the council has made some notable progress, such as: • Replaced our retired borough manager at an incredibly low cost to taxpayers. He has not only managed borough business efficiently with a slim budget, but has brought in significant grants for many worthwhile projects. • Finally addressed the blighted pool problem in Williamson Park. The legal issues must be resolved so that we can have a community dialogue on the future of the site. • Instituted green initiatives such as single stream recycling and LED street lights that help the environment and saves us money. • Kept borough taxes down. In these rough economic times, Council had to make do. And they did. The pool mess created the $20 increase, but it just has to be handled for safety concerns. • Created and supported the Morrisville Riverfront Preserve project that will provide a healthy riverfront habitat that the public can easily access. • Strengthened ordinances that impact our safety and protect us from liability. This is the right direction for Morrisville. We need elected officials who approach issues in a way that is effective, and actually gets something done. Vote for a team that will work together without bickering, silly politics or pandering. Vote Rivella, Sherlock, Davis and Johnson in November.
Down below is an excerpt from the BCCT article - thanks for posting it.
In the spirit of "Fair & Balanced" Fox News, Morrisville Boro needs to do a better job of releasing info. This isn't how we want to be seen in the newspapers.
On the other hand, a 152% budget increase since 2000, and a lot of those were years with Jane Burger at the helm, were they not?
Few municipalities increased spending as much as Morrisville, and no other community was as resistant to releasing budget documents through public information requests. The documents Morrisville did release indicated a 152 percent, or $3.5 million, increase in spending since the year 2000. Morrisville officials said they didn’t have documents clearly detailing the annual cost for health care premiums. Borough Manager Tom Bates also said he couldn’t answer questions about the annual cost of pensions. The manager did release pension plan documents, but the financial elements were obscured with black ink.
"Morrisville officials said they didn’t have documents clearly detailing the annual cost for health care premiums. Borough Manager Tom Bates also said he couldn’t answer questions about the annual cost of pensions."
It would seem that Mr. Bates has some work to do then, no? It would seem that this stuff should be well documented and easily found, no?
The SOC supporters claim to "love their School Board". This is very interesting to me because it appears if you really cared about the school you would show love to the kids inside the walls not the board who has disengaged the public, used their position to benefit their own pockets (landlords) and cut programs that benefit the kids. Would I vote for a group that chose Red as their color and has all of the above against them or would I vote for the Candidates who actually know the school colors Blue and Gold, Attend every school event, actually have kids in the district and have a record of volunteerism, community involvement and is respected and trusted within their borough and surrounding communitiess? My Vote is Morrisville Matters, Kartal, Parker, Miller and SToneburner on November 8th.
Something about this scene from Orson Welles' 1941 cinematic masterpiece "Citizen Kane" reminds me of “Stay on Course”. Kane lost this election, after arrogantly and condescendingly trying to buy peoples' love. Even his best friend wanted to get away from him.
"Morrisville officials said they didn’t have documents clearly detailing the annual cost for health care premiums. Borough Manager Tom Bates also said he couldn’t answer questions about the annual cost of pensions."
"It would seem that Mr. Bates has some work to do then, no? It would seem that this stuff should be well documented and easily found, no?"
I'm kind of surprised by this article and some of the comments. Part time borough managers run over $100,000 and Mr. Bates has taken this job on for less than half of that. He has proven over and over again that he is the right person for the job and when he won't bow down as the the former administration did time and time again, he is negatively talked about. Folks Morrisville is getting a huge bargain in this man.
A pension is based on percentages and until all the overtime comes in it would be impossible to have the answer. It makes sense to me that Mr. Bates was responsible and didn't answer questions about the annual cost of pensions because it's ever-changing. I wouldn't expect him to guess and it would be impossible to give an answer until the final numbers are in at the end of the year. I wouldn't expect him to give a percentage because it would only be an estimate and we all know it would be used against him at some point by the obstructionists in Morrisville. As far as documents go, under the right to know, Mr. Bates can give out existing documents but cannot create documents. Thanksfully, I would be worried if this was the case. I can only imagine what would happen under the wrong person. If the implication of the article & comments are that he could not produce documents from the year 2000 until this year, its not Mr. Bates but George Mount & Jane Burger who should be listed in the article. Mr. Bates has only been the borough manager for about a year. In that time, he has found grants, saved the borough over $40,000 in police insurance and has begun the never ending task of cleaning up mountain of messes left in his lap by the past. Only at the end of the year this will be answered because the costs will be calculated. I really don't understand why this is so hard to figure out, its a no brainer.
I can appreciate Mr. Bates' predicament. It just seems that a Boro Mgr needs to, and should, have a good handle on the Boro's annual health care and pension costs after 1 year on the job. Maybe not to the penny, but a good estimate-answer for when the press or public comes a calling. Otherwise, you get needlessly slammed in the press. If BurgerMount left a mess, somebody needs to be telling the press that.I wouldn't worry about the Morrisville obstructionists or let them affect anyone from executing the duties of running the Boro. The obstructionists don't need real issues to have a field day. They manufacture them for a living. Who thought Morrisville didn't have a manufacturing base!
Jane Burger, Steve Worob, Jack Buckman, Al Radosti, Eileen Dreisbach, Terry Phillips, Rita Ledger, Sam Gibilisco, George Bolos, Ed Bailey, Ed Albertson, etc etc etc. All those Republican Burgerbots and DINO-sores who cycled through Council in the 2000's. You had representation up the ying yang. What’s your excuse for allowing the budget to be raised 152%??????
"estimate-answer" I totally do not agree with this. To me, giving an estimate answer does not seem like a responsible thing to do when we're talking about the borough's finances. Sounds to me like he was honest, gave honest answers to the reporter & the reporter didn't like or didn't understand the answers. I agree it sounds like the reporter wanted Mr. Bates to manufacture documents and he was right not to do so. I have no information that Mr. Bates does does or does not have "a good handle on the Boro's annual health care and pension costs after 1 year on the job." I would tend to venture that he does not have a crystal ball. I agree that this is stuff that cannot be known until the end of the year. The man cannot possibly be expected to know unforeseen events between now and then.
As far as raising taxes, I don't really believe Morrisville Borough can be compared to another area, town, borough, township, etc. We are unique because so much of our tax base comes from homeowners, not businesses as in other areas. There really was no foresight over the years when so much of the land in the borough was built up as housing stock.
I do believe in recent years the borough has maintained a bare bones budget. Things like pension plans, insurance, employee salaries, equipment costs, etc., only go up from year to year so it makes sense that the costs for providing them would go up, directly impacting our taxes. I understand this. To be honest, saying it went up 152% since the year 2000 doesn't bug me because I realize the entire borough exists on only a couple of million a year which cannot be compared to other areas and I don't believe the money is wasted.
To the post directly above, yes I can see this too. When my own bills go up it makes sense that the borough's would as well and that money has to come from somewhere. When I have to buy a new car it's expensive. When the borough has to buy a piece of equipment, its really expensive and that has to come from tax dollars. I get that. I hear stuff about the borough needed a new street sweeper so the complainers have an excuse not to maintain the front of their homes and it kind of cracks me up because what the borough really seem to need is a new bucket truck. I agree with the post that Morrisville has too much housing stock. I think a big part of Morrisville's problem is that they don't have the cushion that other communities have so that when budget time comes around they aren't able to "find" extra money to help with the increasing costs the way other communities do. So when other communities can brag about not having to raise taxes, Morrisville is forced to give increases.
Few government workers' contribute to their health care premiums
October 24, 2011 By James McGinnis Staff Writer | 1 comment Someone had to go first. At least, that’s the way Bob Pellegrino had approached contract negotiations with the unions in Newtown Township more than 10 years ago. The former township manager got the municipal workers to contribute 10 percent toward their health care premiums. Now, as manager of Northampton, Pellegrino is trying to negotiate a police contract and hearing much the same argument from union reps as he did a decade ago: Very few communities in Lower Bucks require workers to pay anything toward their health care. That fact is one reason the trend continues. “If it goes to a neutral arbitrator and they see that almost no one else (in the other municipalities) is being asked to contribute to the premiums, then that will not work in our favor,” Pellegrino said. In the private sector, health care costs are dealt with in a very different way. This year, the average American worker will contribute about 29 percent — or $4,000 — toward health care premiums, according to the Kaiser Foundation’s Health Research and Education Trust. And the health coverage offered to most Americans will cost an average of $13,700, according to the Kaiser. In Lower Bucks, municipalities will pay an average of $19,166 on health insurance for active and retired government workers. Nearly every municipality is paying more for health care than private companies average. The plans offered vary greatly in cost. As a sampling, Falls’ benefits package is the most expensive offered by local governments, at an average cost of $31,868 per worker. Lower Southampton’s falls in the middle, at $18,991, and Wrightstown’s is the least expensive, at $12,714. Falls said it will pay $2.9 million to cover 91 active and retired workers this year. That’s more than double the $1.2 million budgeted by Middletown for 95 workers and retirees. Brand name medications are $5 a pop for Falls workers. Emergency room visits cost $25. In-network hospitalization and hospice care are free. Those are just some of the health benefits offered to workers there, according to the township. And the taxpayer picks up the bill. As with other towns, Falls said it is locked into union contracts that specify health insurance coverage. The Falls’ pacts expire in December 2012, said business manager Betsy Reukhauf. The union contract also contains an opt-out clause, Reukhauf said. Workers who don’t take health insurance from Falls can receive a stipend equal to half the plan premium, or about $16,438 per year, she said. Few workers opt out of the Falls plan, according to the business manager, who wasn’t surprised at the difference in costs among Falls and other towns. Falls provides a Personal Choice health plan that is no longer offered by Independence Blue Cross, she said. “We have a very old plan. ... We do have low co-pays. We do not require premium contributions.” Health care for Lower Southampton employees costs about 40 percent or $13,000 less than it does in Falls, according to budget documents. The township also offers less comprehensive coverage than Falls does. Employees of Lower Southampton pay 10 percent of their hospital and hospice care bills and $100 for emergency room visits. They pay $5 for generic drugs and $15 for brand name medications. Workers get an eye exam every two years and pay the eye doctor $20 for a visit. Wrightstown’s benefits cost estimate was 60 percent less than those of Falls. The benefits offered there cost about $19,154 less per worker. Wrightstown workers receive 100 percent coverage for hospitalization and pay $100 for visits to the emergency room. Employees pay $10 for generic drugs and $20 for brand name drugs. Workers get an eye exam every two years with a $100 lens reimbursement. There’s no coverage for any care received outside the network, said Wrightstown Manager Joe Pantano. Communities also vary in the benefits offered to retirees.
Bristol Township provides health coverage to all retired police and their spouses until death, said finance manager Gail Gordon. More retired police are on the plan than active cops, officials said. Bensalem has nearly twice as many police officers as Bristol Township, yet provides only a limited retiree benefit, officials said. After retiring, officers can receive three years of free health care. After that, they may buy their way back into the plan, said finance manager Jack McGinley. Across the nation, 86 percent of local and state governments provide retirement health coverage in 2011, according to the Kaiser Foundation. In the private sector, only about 28 percent of businesses with more than 200 employees provide such benefits, according to the foundation. And not every municipality provides health care coverage to employees. Hulmeville, Langhorne and Langhorne Manor don’t offer health coverage for the handful of part-time staff they each employ. Some that do provide health insurance wouldn’t talk about it.
Morrisville Manager Tom Bates said he couldn’t provide annual data about the borough’s health plan. Officials released data for only one month — March 2011. This was multiplied by 12 months to estimate an annual benefits costs of $16,856 per worker in the borough. In February, Middletown negotiated a special payment arrangement with its employees to lower health care costs for 2011. The 98 members on the township’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plan agreed to a policy with high deductibles, and the township agreed to always reimburse the workers for that expense. Even if the employees max out the town’s total deductible of $531,000 for medical care and procedures, the plan should still realize a savings of $866,227 per year, said acting township manager Debby Lamanna. Middletown initially budgeted $2.6 million for health care premiums in 2011. The new health plan was budgeted at $1.2 million, Lamanna said. The benefits offered to local government workers are similar to those offered by the state government and, as with local municipalities, the costs vary greatly. The health care budget for more than 70,000 employees in the state’s Executive Branch was estimated to cost $781 million in 2010. That averages out to about $11,069 for each of the 70,556 full-time employees. Employees hired after August 2003 are required to contribute 3 percent of their salary toward health care benefits. Lawmakers and staff in the Pennsylvania House and Senate now contribute 1 percent of their salaries to health care premiums, officials said. The health care budget for state senators and staff was estimated at $21.3 million, or $24,767 for each of the 860 full-time employees. Benefits for state representatives and staff were estimated to cost $35.8 million, or about $19,083 for each of the 1,876 full-time workers.
Thanks. The article has a graphic that summarizes annual Health Care costs by Lower Bucks municipality. Morrisville’s Business Manager provided Health Care costs for 1 month, and the BCCT multiplied that figure by 12 to estimate the yearly cost.
Morrisville’s estimated yearly cost is $387,708. Its average cost per worker ($16,856 for 23 workers) is low-to-mid pack compared to other Lower Bucks municipalities. Per worker costs ranged from $12,714 (Wrightstown) to $31,868 (Falls). Beloved benchmark Bristol Borough is $24,763 ($693,391 for 28 workers).
I don't have a problem with paying to keep the streets clean, safe, and well-paved and well-lit, our water clean and safe, our sewage properly treated, our police department and ambulance squad properly staffed and equipped, our parks and other Borough-owned land and assets well-maintained, and all the other things our local government does.
What I don't like or want to see is draconian cuts in equipment and services or deferring maintenance and repairs under pressure from people who hate taxes with a religious fervor but sure as heck want the services for themselves when they want them, only to be followed by tax increases to restore sanity from the wreckage left when the zealots are out of power.
Our school has joined the "mycokerewards" school rewards program where we can obtain educational and athletic items by earning points from the codes on participating bottle caps and inside the cartons of soda cans. A few of the participating coca-cola products are coke, cherry coke, diet coke, sprite, fanta, power ade, minute maid and a few others. ...
There are 2 ways for you to donate your points. 1. You can sign up for an account at mycokerewards.com (it's free and only takes a few minutes) then enter your codes and go to the schools section and click on donate to school. Search for our school by zip 19067, look for Morrisville Intermediate and donate your points directly or 2. you can contact Tara Kumor, the coordinator for the program who can enter the codes under the school account for you should you not have the time to do so yourself. She can be reached at tara118@aol.com or 215 479-0775 or through facebook. While your at it, check the school rewards catalog and send her your suggestions for what you think we should save for!
If you post something, and it doesn't show right away, it's not that I rejected it.
Chances are it landed in the "Spam" folder. It happens more now because I had to loosen up some of the controls because people, including me, were having trouble posting a few weeks back.
Don't panic (not that you are). I will get to it and release it from Spam purgatory eventually.
Dear Morrisville School Board, I realize you LOVE yourselves and feel the need to tell everyone around town. I get it, you gotta love yourself first. But please know that the parents are not falling for a sign that says you love yourself instead of 'loving' or caring even a little about those you are voted in to take care of, remember the kids! you know, those little buggers who you are in charge of and usually vote to take away things that make them happy. You remember the parents too right, you know, the many who are registered to vote on Nov. 8th?
Stay on Course why are you afraid to show everyone the 2011 pssa numbers on your website. what are you hiding? Its your platform how can you not update it for the new year? Hmmmmmm You have updated every other page so its not because you dont have the time or didn't get to it. would you like help?
So the Morrisville School Board believes in self-love? Makes you wonder why they hold all those "executive sessions". I wonder who they get to "serve the coffee".
SIC just used taxpayer money, our money, your money, to direct mail self-promoting propaganda to select citizens under the banner of the school district. It even had an advertisement in it for the solicitor's law firm. Did anyone else get a chance to advertize? Top notch stuff, skirting the legal edge, if not crossing it, into the realm of the unethical.
Here creepy decepticon SIC'os. Cherry pick the decent scores. Bury the bad ones. There's nothing you can do that can't be done, love is all you need, so far from love it's SIC'ns me. Make up the numbers if you want, you can do anything you want, you have absolute power, you hold all the card, you have no consciences, you enjoy other peoples suffering, what are you waiting for?????????
7th Grade 2010 MATH = 77.6 2011 MATH = 77.2 Change = -0.4
Angry has not sold out, never. angry has sat and watched from afar and has hoped that your tax payers and the parents would wake up and be more vocal like angry says but it seems like you are content for 4 more year of BS my guess is you better be prepared for less teachers, sports, electives, supplies or can you do without more maybe you can or are you freaken angry yet
A crowd welcoming home a young soldier returning to his young wife and child from a tour of duty in Afghanistan
The Worst of Morrisville
The Stay on Course School Board and its line skirting -- and crossing -- blatant self promotional politics with so precious little emphasis on education
Like manna from Harrisburg: Towns get pension windfall
By Hilary Bentman Staff writer | 2 comments It is rare, particularly in this economy, for a state to dole out more money than expected. So when it happened last month, most of the recipients thought it was a mistake. "That was the first thing that crossed my mind," said Montgomery Township Manager Larry Gregan, whose town was one of nearly 1,300 across Pennsylvania that received a larger than expected pension allocation from the state. Montgomery Township received $610,010 for 2011, a 70 percent jump over last year. The additional funding came with no explanation. "It was so unexpected," said Doylestown Manager John Davis, whose town received an 83 percent spike over last year. Emails between municipal officials and financial advisers began to fly. "It started to spread like wildfire," said Davis. Finally, an explanation arrived from the state earlier this month. The Auditor General's Office said Pennsylvania collected $132 million more in taxes on out-of-state insurance companies and that money was distributed to most boroughs and towns. But the increase is a one-time deal. By 2012, allocations are expected to return to more normal levels, putting towns right back into a position of struggling to meet their rising pension costs. Still, officials are thrilled because in many cases the increased funding means they won't have to dip into their general funds to cover pension costs this year. And that means they can save money at a time when budgets are becoming increasingly tighter. "It was great. Every little bit helps," said New Hope Manager John Burke. "There is not much good news in municipal finance this year." Municipalities typically offer pensions to police and nonuniform employees. In most cases, these pensions are funded through a combination of sources, including employee contributions and state allocations. And because the first two sources rarely cover the full amount, municipalities also contribute. Towns and boroughs in the area dip into their general funds to cover shortfalls. It's become a major expense, especially given the poor performance of investments and stocks. Doylestown was expected to receive $181,150 from the state this year leaving the borough on the hook for $129,706 from its own accounts. But Doylestown received $313,400, which is enough to cover pension costs for 2011. Towns, by law, must use the state allocation to defray their municipal pension costs. If the 2011 allocation is more than needed, officials will over-fund their pensions, which should help in future years. That's the case in Perkasie. The Upper Bucks borough expected to receive $183,000 in state aid to cover the $262,564 minimum municipal obligation. The nearly $80,000 shortfall would have been made up by the town. Instead, Perkasie got $330,652 from the state, which means the pension will be over-funded by about $68,000, said borough Manager Dan Olpere. The Auditor General's office said the state nearly doubled its revenues after taking "a more aggressive approach" in taxing the policy prepayments collected by the insurance companies. "Prior to the enhanced tax collection efforts in 2010, these prepayment obligations were only minimally complied with due in part to ambiguity in tax form instructions and taxpayers' misunderstanding the statutory mandates for making estimated prepayments," said the auditor general's office. The auditor general's office stressed that towns should not expect as much aid next year. "It is expected that collections in future years will be consistently lower than in 2011 because of the unique event of collecting approximately 18 months of tax." Local fire departments are also seeing more state aid this year for their relief associations, thanks to the one-time increase in premiums taxes collected. Staff writer Jim McGinnis contributed to this story.
84 comments:
Tonite no bus came at 5 pm to the Pennsbury Middle school fields to pick up the Soccer and Field Hockey kids. This isn't the first time this has happened.
The bus came 1 hr late only after complaints from parents with stranded kids.
What's going on with the elementary school Reading Specialist situation? It sounds like another one of those "not a cut" cuts might be happening. I'd appreciate any insight anyone knowledgeable can provide.
I don't think early education reading assistance is something you want to mess around with. Have you seen the PSSA Reading scores?
3rd Grade
2010 READING = 77.2
2011 READING = 64.7
Change = DOWN 12.5
4th Grade
2010 READING = 74.5
2011 READING = 71.9
Change = DOWN 2.6
5th Grade
2010 READING = 64.3
2011 READING = 51.7
Change = DOWN 12.6
6th Grade
2010 READING = 65.5
2011 READING = 58.9
Change = DOWN 6.6
Reminder:
NO school tomorrow (Friday 10/21).
The hard thing about comparing PSSA scores for one year to the next is that the kids taking them have changed. So they don't accuracy show gains or losses since the previous year. They show where this group of kids are at a certain grade. The 2010 3rd grades are the 2011 4th graders (assuming no one moved in or out) Taking a new test based on their current grade standards.
I think there were changes in title one funding and a retirement.
Here is another comparison based on above comments about dificulty of comparing scores. Not any better than initial comparison. Check out 4th to 5th grade score changes.
2010 - 3rd grade 77.2
2011 - 4th grade 71.9
Down 5.3
2010 - 4th grade 74.5
2011 - 5th grade 51.7
down 22.8
2010 - 5th grade 64.3
2011 - 6th grade 58.9
down 5.4
It is difficult to make those comparisons. Everything can be parced until nothing means anything, and anything means nothing. So, perhaps, people should be more careful when formulating campaign slogans?
Independent of the PSSA scores, what's going on with the Reading Specialist? PSSA scores aren't the only reason I'm concerned.
3rd Grade
2010 READING = 77.2
4th Grade
2011 READING = 71.9
Change = DOWN 5.3
4th Grade
2010 READING = 74.5
5th Grade
2011 READING = 51.7
Change = DOWN 22.8
5th Grade
2010 READING = 64.3
6th Grade
2011 READING = 58.9
Change = DOWN 5.4
Anonymous before me, your comment was in the "spam" folder for some reason, and I didn't see it and release it until after I posted mine. You were really first. Brilliant work ;)
But seriously, what up with the Reading Specialist?
there's a problem & more understanding is surfacing about the exact nature of the actual problem that's why no one is saying too much because the majority is just now realizing how where and why we are faced with the problems we have we are not unique the same problems are happening all over the nation we have power driven greed mongers that sit in higher places they control and decide what will be our future the people are getting angry and they are acting out in some places because they have finally had it surface and they know nothing can be done they are listening with their whole being not just their ears and their egos they know the truth it has reached their core we are down here and we are going to have to figure it out and we should stop fighting over the left overs and crumbs it will only get worse listen to the honest experts and strap on your battle fatigue and prepare for the final round GOT JESUS?!?He gives wisdom strength and victory to all who call out to Him thats all we need
LOVE He fills the empty with promise & abundant LIFE
Would this be the bus company's 3rd and final strike against them? Although I wasn't at the meeting, I watched the video of it on the SB website. I remember the CPA saying they would be done if anything else happened. I'm waiting on the edge of my seat to see what happens now, this close to Election Day. Okay...maybe not on the edge of my seat.
I think this is a different bus company (First Student) than the one the board contracted to do Tech School transport (Delaware Valley Alternative High School).
First Student doesn't have a limit on how many strikes it can accumulate.
Batter up!
Ron Burgundy: Hey, let’s leave the mothers out of this. It’s unnecessary. Besides, I’m sure Wes here is just upset over finishing second in the ratings again.
Wes Mantooth:That’s completely uncalled for, Burgundy. You know those rating systems are flawed. They don’t take into account houses that have more than two television sets and other things of that nature.
Ron Burgundy: I guess I have to take you at your word, Number Two.
Wes Mantooth: Hey, Burgundy. You know those sample audiences aren’t big enough! Stop hiding behind those phony numbers, Burgundy!
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
Not the same bus company?
Well I guess the bad service boils down to the fact that you get what you pay for. Morrisville School Board always looking for the lowest cost without any mind to quality.
Add to that the lack of quality communication in prety much every astpect of day to day business done by the administration and school board.
Real Efficient Guys!!!
Hey at least give us credit for spreading the incompetence around.
"Hey at least give us credit for spreading the incompetence around."
That's like giving both the dog and the shoe credit for spreading the crap around.
NOpe. Can't even do that. I've seen too many cuts in excellent capable staff while those who are almost completely incompetent being given salary increases.
And don't forget the creation of a communications director position given to somene who actually gets in the way of the communications.
Just my opinion but but I've been dealing with this for a while and it is awful. It really needs to change.
That's not just your opinion, it's a valid one shared by many who are regularly involved and have to interact with the schools and the board on a regular basis.
The teachers and staff are great overall. They're not the problem.
You get what you pay for. WHat do I care? Whose being burned and inconvenienced by these snafus? Parents and kids. That's not me. I pocket the savings. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ah ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can only hope that that's some of the mediocre satire that crops up here from time to time.
"You get what you pay for. WHat do I care? Whose being burned and inconvenienced by these snafus? Parents and kids. That's not me. I pocket the savings. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ah ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
These kids are going to be the ones who are only qualified to be low-level employees at your nursing home. Let's hope they don't confuse your oxygen line with your feeding tube.
I'll have my people contact your people on that one at some point with an unsatisfying 'we'll do better next time the horse is already out of the open barn door' kind of answer.
This is not to imply that we will begin using horses to transport your sons and daughters.
"I think there were changes in title one funding and a retirement."
I believe this comment was about the reading specialist.
Oh, OK. Thanks for pointing that out, because that wasn't clear to me. I thought it was in the context of PSSA scores. And that's supposed to satisfy peoples' concerns about Reading Specialist instruction at the elementary level?
Let me guess, the changes in Title 1 funding were DECREASES?
And so someone retired. Let me guess, they weren't replaced?
The worst state DMV has better so called customer service than this.
That's why I want to see the 4 Morrisville Matters candidates take 4 board seats on November 8.
Out of 9 total it's only 44% but at least you might have a better chance of not getting the worst state DMV treatment almost every time.
I AM REPOSTING THIS FROM FACEBOOK SO EVERYONE CAN SEE....
Don't forget -- WELCOME HOME HERO....This Saturday, Octoaber 22nd, we will welcome home our own Marine, Matthew Jones. Matthew, has recently returned from Afghanistan. This Saturday, he will be escorted from Philadelphia Airport to his home at 591 Rosemar Drive, Morrisville, at 11:00am. We are being invited to begin on Rosesmar Drive and make our way down West Trenton AVenue in all our glory. Please share this message with everyone you know that might like to say THANKS. Sincerely, Morrisville United Methodist Church.
Awesome!!!
So is the news that all troops are coming home from Iraq for good by year's end.
“Across America, our servicemen and women will be reunited with their families,” Obama said. “Today, I can say that our troops in Iraq will definitely be home for the holidays.”
Buses break down and drivers sometimes get lost. That I can understand. But dropping off the kids and not returning to pick them up? Totally unacceptable. Unless there's a REEEEAALLY good explanation, 1 strike and you're out, in my book.
For those who don't know. The bus mishap was the 2nd of its kind so far this Fall.
The welcome home celebration was great. I am so glad I went. I am not posting with my name. I want no credit. All honor goes to local hero Marine Matthew Jones. Welcome home. Thank you for your service to our country.
Yes. The welcome home was a great experience. Welcome HOME Matthew and thank you so much for your service to all of us.
Congrats Matt Jones and your family for a safe return. Thanks to all those who honored him with a heart warming escort into town. So honored to have been there with my son to witness it.
RE; the bus , in baseball 3 strikes and your out, but in bowling 10 strikes and your PERFECT. Thank GOD for a school board with the BALLS to stay in the gutters!
Thank God for SIC and a school board that will save me a $1.00 increase in taxes at the expense of the entire borough's property values and the education and welfare of future generations.
Well, I just put one clip from Robocop on here. Might as well go for #2 ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85cL1HisrNc
Stay on Coarse campaign headquarters??????? LOL!!!!
Many thanks and a hearty welcome home to SSgt Matthew Jones. I was also there with my family and am so glad we went. It was a very moving experience; not nearly as much as it was for his family, I'm sure. I am so glad one of our brave neighborhood heroes came home safe.
Coverage in today's BCCT.
A Marine is welcomed home
Posted: Sunday, October 23, 2011 5:55 am | Updated: 7:41 am, Sun Oct 23, 2011.
By BEN FINLEY Staff writer | 0 comments
Sure, Matthew Jones saw a few mortar shells hit the ground in Afghanistan.
He watched some roadside bombs blow up in Iraq.
But his best war stories contain little action. They’re about handing a can of Red Bull, the energy drink, to a battle-hardened Marine.
Or offering that Marine a tin of anchovies and a pack of smokes. Perhaps the newest issue of FHM magazine.
“A thing of shower gel is huge to them,” said Jones, himself a Marine staff sergeant. “They appreciate every little thing they can get.”
Jones, a Morrisville native, just spent seven months in Afghanistan. As a Marine for more than 11 years, he has served in various capacities and outfits across the globe. Most of his duties have focused on troop morale.
On Saturday, during a 10-day visit to his hometown, Jones described an aspect of the Marines that rarely finds its way into a movie script.
“Our job was to support the grunts, the infantry fighting from house to house,” Jones said, describing his time providing some of the comforts of home to troops in Afghanistan.
“It gives them a little bit more morale to keep pushing forward, which makes for a more efficient fighting force.”
Jones, 29, joined the Marines when he was 17, even before he graduated from Morrisville High School in 2000.
He first became a cook. On Sept. 11, 2001, he was stationed in Washington, D.C., near where the Pentagon was attacked.
“That made me want to stay in the Marine Corps even more,” he said.
Jones was stationed for a while in Hawaii before he was deployed in Iraq in the mid-2000s.
From 2007 to 2010, Jones served as a Marine recruiter in Lansdale, Montgomery County.
“It was the most challenging job I ever did,” he said. “I put about 60 Marines in.”
The hardest part was convincing the parents.
“They’re protective. I have a daughter myself,” Jones said. “I showed them my love for the Marine Corps and what it did for me — the leadership skills and technical skills I learned and the educational opportunities I never would have had.”
His deployment to Afghanistan came next. Jones encountered a few of the Marines he signed up in Lansdale.
On Nov. 1, he and his wife Jennifer, from Northeast Philadelphia, and their daughter will move to Beaufort, South Carolina. He will be stationed at Parris Island, where many of the country’s Marine recruits are trained.
There, he will become a gunnery sergeant with the Marine Corps Air Station. Jones, who will have 15 Marines serving under him, will be in charge of all of the base’s restaurants.
“He has just matured so much in the time that he has been in the Marine corps,” said Jones’ father, Bob Jones.
“And you can tell that he has really taken this as a life story. He’s committed himself to this more so than I’ve seen him commit anything else in his life. And of course his mother and I are extremely proud.”
Also from today's BCCT.
Keep the momentum going in Morrisville
Posted: Sunday, October 23, 2011 12:15 am | Updated: 8:51 am, Sun Oct 23, 2011.
0 comments
Over the past few municipal elections, Morrisville residents have voted in new faces to borough council. These Council members have worked as a team to tackle tough issues, keep taxes down, and improve our quality of life in Morrisville.
Times change and new situations are encountered that require a fresh perspective on how to respond. It requires a collaborative approach that results in positive outcomes.
We have seen how dysfunctional, divided government creates no action -- to the dismay of all. In Morrisville, we are fortunate to have the ability to prevent that from happening here. By electing Dave Rivella, Nancy Sherlock, Rhonda Davis and Jeff Johnson in November, we can keep the momentum going and continue to improve our community.
With the leadership of council President Dave Rivella and former President Nancy Sherlock, the council has made some notable progress, such as:
• Replaced our retired borough manager at an incredibly low cost to taxpayers. He has not only managed borough business efficiently with a slim budget, but has brought in significant grants for many worthwhile projects.
• Finally addressed the blighted pool problem in Williamson Park. The legal issues must be resolved so that we can have a community dialogue on the future of the site.
• Instituted green initiatives such as single stream recycling and LED street lights that help the environment and saves us money.
• Kept borough taxes down. In these rough economic times, Council had to make do. And they did. The pool mess created the $20 increase, but it just has to be handled for safety concerns.
• Created and supported the Morrisville Riverfront Preserve project that will provide a healthy riverfront habitat that the public can easily access.
• Strengthened ordinances that impact our safety and protect us from liability.
This is the right direction for Morrisville. We need elected officials who approach issues in a way that is effective, and actually gets something done. Vote for a team that will work together without bickering, silly politics or pandering. Vote Rivella, Sherlock, Davis and Johnson in November.
Deborah Colgan
Morrisville
Article about Matt Jones in today's Courier, page A3.
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times_news/a-marine-is-welcomed-home/article_ef5bec05-15b4-572e-9219-1916be5e097f.html
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times_news/municipal-budgets-outpace-inflation/article_a6ce3d3e-3979-5cd9-bcbe-2e9147011f48.html
Down below is an excerpt from the BCCT article - thanks for posting it.
In the spirit of "Fair & Balanced" Fox News, Morrisville Boro needs to do a better job of releasing info. This isn't how we want to be seen in the newspapers.
On the other hand, a 152% budget increase since 2000, and a lot of those were years with Jane Burger at the helm, were they not?
Few municipalities increased spending as much as Morrisville, and no other community was as resistant to releasing budget documents through public information requests.
The documents Morrisville did release indicated a 152 percent, or $3.5 million, increase in spending since the year 2000.
Morrisville officials said they didn’t have documents clearly detailing the annual cost for health care premiums. Borough Manager Tom Bates also said he couldn’t answer questions about the annual cost of pensions. The manager did release pension plan documents, but the financial elements were obscured with black ink.
BURGER AND HER 'BOTS' STUNK AT HOLDING DOWN TAXES AND SPENDING!!!
"Morrisville officials said they didn’t have documents clearly detailing the annual cost for health care premiums. Borough Manager Tom Bates also said he couldn’t answer questions about the annual cost of pensions."
It would seem that Mr. Bates has some work to do then, no? It would seem that this stuff should be well documented and easily found, no?
It seems by the signs poping up the school loves it's self
narcissism?
The SOC supporters claim to "love their School Board". This is very interesting to me because it appears if you really cared about the school you would show love to the kids inside the walls not the board who has disengaged the public, used their position to benefit their own pockets (landlords) and cut programs that benefit the kids.
Would I vote for a group that chose Red as their color and has all of the above against them or would I vote for the Candidates who actually know the school colors Blue and Gold, Attend every school event, actually have kids in the district and have a record of volunteerism, community involvement and is respected and trusted within their borough and surrounding communitiess?
My Vote is Morrisville Matters, Kartal, Parker, Miller and SToneburner on November 8th.
"We Love Our School Board. Paid For By A School Board Member."
I love it. They can't earn friends. They have to BUY them.
Where's Marlys and her stuffed toads when you need them?
Something about this scene from Orson Welles' 1941 cinematic masterpiece "Citizen Kane" reminds me of “Stay on Course”. Kane lost this election, after arrogantly and condescendingly trying to buy peoples' love. Even his best friend wanted to get away from him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYmaQ7qsxis
"Morrisville officials said they didn’t have documents clearly detailing the annual cost for health care premiums. Borough Manager Tom Bates also said he couldn’t answer questions about the annual cost of pensions."
"It would seem that Mr. Bates has some work to do then, no? It would seem that this stuff should be well documented and easily found, no?"
I'm kind of surprised by this article and some of the comments. Part time borough managers run over $100,000 and Mr. Bates has taken this job on for less than half of that. He has proven over and over again that he is the right person for the job and when he won't bow down as the the former administration did time and time again, he is negatively talked about. Folks Morrisville is getting a huge bargain in this man.
A pension is based on percentages and until all the overtime comes in it would be impossible to have the answer. It makes sense to me that Mr. Bates was responsible and didn't answer questions about the annual cost of pensions because it's ever-changing. I wouldn't expect him to guess and it would be impossible to give an answer until the final numbers are in at the end of the year. I wouldn't expect him to give a percentage because it would only be an estimate and we all know it would be used against him at some point by the obstructionists in Morrisville. As far as documents go, under the right to know, Mr. Bates can give out existing documents but cannot create documents. Thanksfully, I would be worried if this was the case. I can only imagine what would happen under the wrong person. If the implication of the article & comments are that he could not produce documents from the year 2000 until this year, its not Mr. Bates but George Mount & Jane Burger who should be listed in the article. Mr. Bates has only been the borough manager for about a year. In that time, he has found grants, saved the borough over $40,000 in police insurance and has begun the never ending task of cleaning up mountain of messes left in his lap by the past. Only at the end of the year this will be answered because the costs will be calculated. I really don't understand why this is so hard to figure out, its a no brainer.
Our little family trio went to the Ambulance Squad Haunted House tonight and it was awesome! Very fun!
It's on next weekend too, right?
I can appreciate Mr. Bates' predicament. It just seems that a Boro Mgr needs to, and should, have a good handle on the Boro's annual health care and pension costs after 1 year on the job. Maybe not to the penny, but a good estimate-answer for when the press or public comes a calling. Otherwise, you get needlessly slammed in the press. If BurgerMount left a mess, somebody needs to be telling the press that.I wouldn't worry about the Morrisville obstructionists or let them affect anyone from executing the duties of running the Boro. The obstructionists don't need real issues to have a field day. They manufacture them for a living. Who thought Morrisville didn't have a manufacturing base!
Jane Burger, Steve Worob, Jack Buckman, Al Radosti, Eileen Dreisbach, Terry Phillips, Rita Ledger, Sam Gibilisco, George Bolos, Ed Bailey, Ed Albertson, etc etc etc. All those Republican Burgerbots and DINO-sores who cycled through Council in the 2000's. You had representation up the ying yang. What’s your excuse for allowing the budget to be raised 152%??????
"estimate-answer" I totally do not agree with this. To me, giving an estimate answer does not seem like a responsible thing to do when we're talking about the borough's finances. Sounds to me like he was honest, gave honest answers to the reporter & the reporter didn't like or didn't understand the answers. I agree it sounds like the reporter wanted Mr. Bates to manufacture documents and he was right not to do so. I have no information that Mr. Bates does does or does not have "a good handle on the Boro's annual health care and pension costs after 1 year on the job." I would tend to venture that he does not have a crystal ball. I agree that this is stuff that cannot be known until the end of the year. The man cannot possibly be expected to know unforeseen events between now and then.
YAY HAUNTED HOUSE!!!!! I agree Jon, we enjoyed it as well.
As far as raising taxes, I don't really believe Morrisville Borough can be compared to another area, town, borough, township, etc. We are unique because so much of our tax base comes from homeowners, not businesses as in other areas. There really was no foresight over the years when so much of the land in the borough was built up as housing stock.
I do believe in recent years the borough has maintained a bare bones budget. Things like pension plans, insurance, employee salaries, equipment costs, etc., only go up from year to year so it makes sense that the costs for providing them would go up, directly impacting our taxes. I understand this. To be honest, saying it went up 152% since the year 2000 doesn't bug me because I realize the entire borough exists on only a couple of million a year which cannot be compared to other areas and I don't believe the money is wasted.
To the post directly above, yes I can see this too. When my own bills go up it makes sense that the borough's would as well and that money has to come from somewhere. When I have to buy a new car it's expensive. When the borough has to buy a piece of equipment, its really expensive and that has to come from tax dollars. I get that. I hear stuff about the borough needed a new street sweeper so the complainers have an excuse not to maintain the front of their homes and it kind of cracks me up because what the borough really seem to need is a new bucket truck. I agree with the post that Morrisville has too much housing stock. I think a big part of Morrisville's problem is that they don't have the cushion that other communities have so that when budget time comes around they aren't able to "find" extra money to help with the increasing costs the way other communities do. So when other communities can brag about not having to raise taxes, Morrisville is forced to give increases.
Few government workers' contribute to their health care premiums
October 24, 2011
By James McGinnis Staff Writer | 1 comment
Someone had to go first.
At least, that’s the way Bob Pellegrino had approached contract negotiations with the unions in Newtown Township more than 10 years ago.
The former township manager got the municipal workers to contribute 10 percent toward their health care premiums.
Now, as manager of Northampton, Pellegrino is trying to negotiate a police contract and hearing much the same argument from union reps as he did a decade ago: Very few communities in Lower Bucks require workers to pay anything toward their health care.
That fact is one reason the trend continues.
“If it goes to a neutral arbitrator and they see that almost no one else (in the other municipalities) is being asked to contribute to the premiums, then that will not work in our favor,” Pellegrino said.
In the private sector, health care costs are dealt with in a very different way.
This year, the average American worker will contribute about 29 percent — or $4,000 — toward health care premiums, according to the Kaiser Foundation’s Health Research and Education Trust. And the health coverage offered to most Americans will cost an average of $13,700, according to the Kaiser.
In Lower Bucks, municipalities will pay an average of $19,166 on health insurance for active and retired government workers.
Nearly every municipality is paying more for health care than private companies average. The plans offered vary greatly in cost.
As a sampling, Falls’ benefits package is the most expensive offered by local governments, at an average cost of $31,868 per worker. Lower Southampton’s falls in the middle, at $18,991, and Wrightstown’s is the least expensive, at $12,714.
Falls said it will pay $2.9 million to cover 91 active and retired workers this year. That’s more than double the $1.2 million budgeted by Middletown for 95 workers and retirees.
Brand name medications are $5 a pop for Falls workers. Emergency room visits cost $25. In-network hospitalization and hospice care are free.
Those are just some of the health benefits offered to workers there, according to the township. And the taxpayer picks up the bill.
As with other towns, Falls said it is locked into union contracts that specify health insurance coverage. The Falls’ pacts expire in December 2012, said business manager Betsy Reukhauf.
The union contract also contains an opt-out clause, Reukhauf said. Workers who don’t take health insurance from Falls can receive a stipend equal to half the plan premium, or about $16,438 per year, she said.
Few workers opt out of the Falls plan, according to the business manager, who wasn’t surprised at the difference in costs among Falls and other towns.
Falls provides a Personal Choice health plan that is no longer offered by Independence Blue Cross, she said. “We have a very old plan. ... We do have low co-pays. We do not require premium contributions.”
Health care for Lower Southampton employees costs about 40 percent or $13,000 less than it does in Falls, according to budget documents. The township also offers less comprehensive coverage than Falls does.
Employees of Lower Southampton pay 10 percent of their hospital and hospice care bills and $100 for emergency room visits. They pay $5 for generic drugs and $15 for brand name medications. Workers get an eye exam every two years and pay the eye doctor $20 for a visit.
Wrightstown’s benefits cost estimate was 60 percent less than those of Falls. The benefits offered there cost about $19,154 less per worker.
Wrightstown workers receive 100 percent coverage for hospitalization and pay $100 for visits to the emergency room. Employees pay $10 for generic drugs and $20 for brand name drugs. Workers get an eye exam every two years with a $100 lens reimbursement. There’s no coverage for any care received outside the network, said Wrightstown Manager Joe Pantano.
Communities also vary in the benefits offered to retirees.
Bristol Township provides health coverage to all retired police and their spouses until death, said finance manager Gail Gordon. More retired police are on the plan than active cops, officials said.
Bensalem has nearly twice as many police officers as Bristol Township, yet provides only a limited retiree benefit, officials said. After retiring, officers can receive three years of free health care. After that, they may buy their way back into the plan, said finance manager Jack McGinley.
Across the nation, 86 percent of local and state governments provide retirement health coverage in 2011, according to the Kaiser Foundation. In the private sector, only about 28 percent of businesses with more than 200 employees provide such benefits, according to the foundation.
And not every municipality provides health care coverage to employees. Hulmeville, Langhorne and Langhorne Manor don’t offer health coverage for the handful of part-time staff they each employ.
Some that do provide health insurance wouldn’t talk about it.
Morrisville Manager Tom Bates said he couldn’t provide annual data about the borough’s health plan. Officials released data for only one month — March 2011. This was multiplied by 12 months to estimate an annual benefits costs of $16,856 per worker in the borough.
In February, Middletown negotiated a special payment arrangement with its employees to lower health care costs for 2011.
The 98 members on the township’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plan agreed to a policy with high deductibles, and the township agreed to always reimburse the workers for that expense.
Even if the employees max out the town’s total deductible of $531,000 for medical care and procedures, the plan should still realize a savings of $866,227 per year, said acting township manager Debby Lamanna.
Middletown initially budgeted $2.6 million for health care premiums in 2011. The new health plan was budgeted at $1.2 million, Lamanna said.
The benefits offered to local government workers are similar to those offered by the state government and, as with local municipalities, the costs vary greatly.
The health care budget for more than 70,000 employees in the state’s Executive Branch was estimated to cost $781 million in 2010. That averages out to about $11,069 for each of the 70,556 full-time employees.
Employees hired after August 2003 are required to contribute 3 percent of their salary toward health care benefits.
Lawmakers and staff in the Pennsylvania House and Senate now contribute 1 percent of their salaries to health care premiums, officials said.
The health care budget for state senators and staff was estimated at $21.3 million, or $24,767 for each of the 860 full-time employees.
Benefits for state representatives and staff were estimated to cost $35.8 million, or about $19,083 for each of the 1,876 full-time workers.
Thanks. The article has a graphic that summarizes annual Health Care costs by Lower Bucks municipality. Morrisville’s Business Manager provided Health Care costs for 1 month, and the BCCT multiplied that figure by 12 to estimate the yearly cost.
Morrisville’s estimated yearly cost is $387,708. Its average cost per worker ($16,856 for 23 workers) is low-to-mid pack compared to other Lower Bucks municipalities. Per worker costs ranged from $12,714 (Wrightstown) to $31,868 (Falls). Beloved benchmark Bristol Borough is $24,763 ($693,391 for 28 workers).
I don't have a problem with paying to keep the streets clean, safe, and well-paved and well-lit, our water clean and safe, our sewage properly treated, our police department and ambulance squad properly staffed and equipped, our parks and other Borough-owned land and assets well-maintained, and all the other things our local government does.
What I don't like or want to see is draconian cuts in equipment and services or deferring maintenance and repairs under pressure from people who hate taxes with a religious fervor but sure as heck want the services for themselves when they want them, only to be followed by tax increases to restore sanity from the wreckage left when the zealots are out of power.
Like that ever happens??
No, never happens. Read and weep.
http://mvbulldogbanter.blogspot.com/2011/07/potluck-15.html
We are posting this hoping to help the cause...
Our school has joined the "mycokerewards" school rewards program where we can obtain educational and athletic items by earning points from the codes on participating bottle caps and inside the cartons of soda cans. A few of the participating coca-cola products are coke, cherry coke, diet coke, sprite, fanta, power ade, minute maid and a few others. ...
There are 2 ways for you to donate your points.
1. You can sign up for an account at mycokerewards.com (it's free and only takes a few minutes) then enter your codes and go to the schools section and click on donate to school. Search for our school by zip 19067, look for Morrisville Intermediate and donate your points directly or
2. you can contact Tara Kumor, the coordinator for the program who can enter the codes under the school account for you should you not have the time to do so yourself. She can be reached at tara118@aol.com or 215 479-0775 or through facebook. While your at it, check the school rewards catalog and send her your suggestions for what you think we should save for!
Note:
If you post something, and it doesn't show right away, it's not that I rejected it.
Chances are it landed in the "Spam" folder. It happens more now because I had to loosen up some of the controls because people, including me, were having trouble posting a few weeks back.
Don't panic (not that you are). I will get to it and release it from Spam purgatory eventually.
Thank you for your patronage!
Dear Morrisville School Board, I realize you LOVE yourselves and feel the need to tell everyone around town. I get it, you gotta love yourself first. But please know that the parents are not falling for a sign that says you love yourself instead of 'loving' or caring even a little about those you are voted in to take care of, remember the kids! you know, those little buggers who you are in charge of and usually vote to take away things that make them happy. You remember the parents too right, you know, the many who are registered to vote on Nov. 8th?
Stay on Course why are you afraid to show everyone the 2011 pssa numbers on your website. what are you hiding? Its your platform how can you not update it for the new year? Hmmmmmm You have updated every other page so its not because you dont have the time or didn't get to it. would you like help?
So the Morrisville School Board believes in self-love? Makes you wonder why they hold all those "executive sessions". I wonder who they get to "serve the coffee".
dont you mean serve the koolaid?
These PSSA Scores suck.. Drink up, or should I say drink down, because in SIC world down is up!
3rd Grade
2010 MATH = 86.1
2011 MATH = 72.0
Change = -14.1
2010 READING = 77.2
2011 READING = 64.7
Change = -12.5
4th Grade
2010 MATH = 80.8
2011 MATH = 91.5
Change = +10.7
2010 READING = 74.5
2011 READING = 71.9
Change = -2.6
5th Grade
2010 MATH = 81.8
2011 MATH = 53.3
Change = -28.5
2010 READING = 64.3
2011 READING = 51.7
Change = -12.6
6th Grade
2010 MATH= 87.0
2011 MATH = 71.9
Change = -15.1
2010 READING = 65.5
2011 READING = 58.9
Change = -6.6
SIC just used taxpayer money, our money, your money, to direct mail self-promoting propaganda to select citizens under the banner of the school district.
It even had an advertisement in it for the solicitor's law firm. Did anyone else get a chance to advertize?
Top notch stuff, skirting the legal edge, if not crossing it, into the realm of the unethical.
I knew the scores were down but I had no idea how bad most of the grades did. What is going on?
This is why they wont post it on their website.
Here creepy decepticon SIC'os. Cherry pick the decent scores. Bury the bad ones. There's nothing you can do that can't be done, love is all you need, so far from love it's SIC'ns me. Make up the numbers if you want, you can do anything you want, you have absolute power, you hold all the card, you have no consciences, you enjoy other peoples suffering, what are you waiting for?????????
7th Grade
2010 MATH = 77.6
2011 MATH = 77.2
Change = -0.4
2010 READING = 69.5
2011 READING = 82.1
Change = +12.6
8th Grade
2010 MATH = 70.6
2011 MATH = 69.3
Change = -1.3
2010 READING = 75.9
2011 READING = 87.1
Change = +11.2
11th Grade
2010 MATH = 39.1
2011 MATH = 54.6
Change = +15.5
2010 READING = 57.1
2011 READING = 69.7
Change = +12.6
Where's Angry? Things have been quiet at http://www.angryyet.net. Did Angry sell out just like the rest of the previous blogmasters?
Angry has not sold out, never. angry has sat and watched from afar and has hoped that your tax payers and the parents would wake up and be more vocal like angry says but it seems like you are content for 4 more year of BS my guess is you better be prepared for less teachers, sports, electives, supplies or can you do without more maybe you can or are you freaken angry yet
ok now you made me angry again at least you put me right where I belong ranting www.angryyet.net
I'm not selling out. I'll continue to host Tostitos Bulldog BanterTM for at least the next 2 weeks.
Thanks Jon!
We'll be sure to stayed tuned to watch SOC continue to "chip" away at programs, and see the resulting test scores "dip"!
Morrisvillesfuture, SOC thinks you sold out.
That's the thanks you get for running an informative blog for 2 years. Same for you, SavetheMorrisvilleschool.
Even Marlys Mihok got a plaque and an umbrella for making 6 out of 26 meetings as our I.U. rep.
MORRISVILLE MATTERS...
THE "B"EST CHOICE FOR MORRISVILLE
KARTAL 13B
PARKER 15B
MILLER 12B
STONEBURNER 14B
VOTE NOVEMBER 8,2011
The Best of Morrisville
A crowd welcoming home a young soldier returning to his young wife and child from a tour of duty in Afghanistan
The Worst of Morrisville
The Stay on Course School Board and its line skirting -- and crossing -- blatant self promotional politics with so precious little emphasis on education
From today's BCCT. How much for M'ville?
Like manna from Harrisburg: Towns get pension windfall
By Hilary Bentman Staff writer | 2 comments
It is rare, particularly in this economy, for a state to dole out more money than expected.
So when it happened last month, most of the recipients thought it was a mistake.
"That was the first thing that crossed my mind," said Montgomery Township Manager Larry Gregan, whose town was one of nearly 1,300 across Pennsylvania that received a larger than expected pension allocation from the state.
Montgomery Township received $610,010 for 2011, a 70 percent jump over last year. The additional funding came with no explanation.
"It was so unexpected," said Doylestown Manager John Davis, whose town received an 83 percent spike over last year. Emails between municipal officials and financial advisers began to fly.
"It started to spread like wildfire," said Davis.
Finally, an explanation arrived from the state earlier this month. The Auditor General's Office said Pennsylvania collected $132 million more in taxes on out-of-state insurance companies and that money was distributed to most boroughs and towns.
But the increase is a one-time deal. By 2012, allocations are expected to return to more normal levels, putting towns right back into a position of struggling to meet their rising pension costs.
Still, officials are thrilled because in many cases the increased funding means they won't have to dip into their general funds to cover pension costs this year.
And that means they can save money at a time when budgets are becoming increasingly tighter.
"It was great. Every little bit helps," said New Hope Manager John Burke. "There is not much good news in municipal finance this year."
Municipalities typically offer pensions to police and nonuniform employees. In most cases, these pensions are funded through a combination of sources, including employee contributions and state allocations. And because the first two sources rarely cover the full amount, municipalities also contribute.
Towns and boroughs in the area dip into their general funds to cover shortfalls. It's become a major expense, especially given the poor performance of investments and stocks.
Doylestown was expected to receive $181,150 from the state this year leaving the borough on the hook for $129,706 from its own accounts. But Doylestown received $313,400, which is enough to cover pension costs for 2011.
Towns, by law, must use the state allocation to defray their municipal pension costs. If the 2011 allocation is more than needed, officials will over-fund their pensions, which should help in future years.
That's the case in Perkasie.
The Upper Bucks borough expected to receive $183,000 in state aid to cover the $262,564 minimum municipal obligation. The nearly $80,000 shortfall would have been made up by the town.
Instead, Perkasie got $330,652 from the state, which means the pension will be over-funded by about $68,000, said borough Manager Dan Olpere.
The Auditor General's office said the state nearly doubled its revenues after taking "a more aggressive approach" in taxing the policy prepayments collected by the insurance companies.
"Prior to the enhanced tax collection efforts in 2010, these prepayment obligations were only minimally complied with due in part to ambiguity in tax form instructions and taxpayers' misunderstanding the statutory mandates for making estimated prepayments," said the auditor general's office.
The auditor general's office stressed that towns should not expect as much aid next year.
"It is expected that collections in future years will be consistently lower than in 2011 because of the unique event of collecting approximately 18 months of tax."
Local fire departments are also seeing more state aid this year for their relief associations, thanks to the one-time increase in premiums taxes collected.
Staff writer Jim McGinnis contributed to this story.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha all this sand pounder whinging. THANK GOD four more years are a done deal. the real people of morrisville win
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