Friday, December 20, 2013

Morrisville Adopts 2014 $5.99-million Budget; Police Line Item Includes Police Chief, Nine Full-timers and Four Part-timers

Morrisville adopts 2014 $5.99-million budget; Police line item includes police chief, nine full-timers and four part-timers

By Petra Chesner Schlatter
pschlatter@buckslocalnews.com


MORRISVILLE BOROUGH – In a unanimous vote, borough council adopted the 2014 budget with a $73 tax increase for homeowners with the average property assessment.

The $73 increase translates to 3.65 mills, bringing the total millage to 44.56.

Borough Manager Tom Bates said the budget is balanced, but explained that the total revenues ($5,993,931) are slightly higher than the expenditures ($5,954,271) because police radios have not yet been purchased.

The biggest increase in the budget is in the line item for the police department, according to Bates. Most of the police department expenditures increased, Bates said, because of increased workmen’s compensation, insurance stipend and salaries. Salaries for the department rose three percent.

“Even though we did not get a new police car this year, the overall increase for police expenditures is $239,794,” Bates said. “The police department only has seven full-time officers because two guys retired and the chief is gone. They have part-timers manning their schedules.” He noted that one full-time officer is out sick.

Bates said there will be “a full-force” once a police chief and two full-time officers are hired.

“I put it in the budget that they would have the exact same thing they have always had -- 10 full-timers and four part-timers as backup,” he said.

“Right now, they have seven [full-timers] working and probably six - eight [part-timers] to man all the shifts,” Bates said.

He also allowed for two corporals because the officer in charge said the police department needs shift supervisors.

There were 11 applicants for three full-time police officer openings, according to council member Eileen Dreisbach, who added that eight recently passed the written and agility tests. They were scheduled to complete the oral portion of the test on Thursday, Dec. 19. 
Council member Debbie Smith said people want more full-time police officers and the approved budget does not include enough of them. She said they would have more of a vested interest in the police department. Smith noted that it was a difficult budget to do “to balance what everyone wants”.

Borough Council President Nancy Sherlock does not like the budget that was adopted.

“I don’t think it’s responsible enough,” she said. “It’s definitely a skeleton budget. Think about the challenges we’re going to have next year, the year after that and the year after that.”

Former Council President Jane Burger, a critic of the majority on the board, thanked the council for posting the preliminary budget on the website.

She noted that one of the borough manager’s three budgets that he presented called for an 18-mill increase.

“There was a lot of work on the budget,” she said, noting that the council and she agreed that an 18-mill increase was out of the question.

She thanked council for bringing down the tax millage rate and maintaining a full police department.

Former Council Vice President Kathryn Panzitta said the borough’s part-time police officers make less than a clerk at Home Depot.

“I really think the budget is a disgrace,” she said, noting that she is concerned whether standard services will continue to be provided.

She called for council to rethink about the budget.  

“In good conscious,” she said, “I think this budget stinks.”

In other budget matters, people’s trash bills will not increase and have not for three years, according to Bates, despite the borough being contractually obligated to pay the trash company $43,440 more.

There is a 3.5-percent increase for all non-uniformed union employees per the AFSCME contract. Also included in the new budget are increases for salaried employees.    

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

The 18 mil budget template was a wish list. It's been done before. Obviously, Bates included everything everyone wanted or needed into the budget and then whittled it down. It's commonly done. I would think he wanted everyone to see what their wish list would total if they were all worked into the budget.

I watched the meeting from home. I heard Jane Burger speak during public comment. She was pretty inaccurate on a some of her topics. I'm assuming it sounds good to those who haven't been paying attention.

I'm glad the budget is done although I have no doubt it will be griped about for months to come from some.

Anonymous said...

I'm not paying more taxes. These liberals don't know how to cut spending. I'll just cut out the tax increase and pay the same amount and let them come after me. If we all do it we'll bring down the entire rotten liberal system.

Anonymous said...

Hey Bill Hellman, is that you? How the hell are ya, chief?

Dee Lusion said...

Hellman as mayor, Pepitone as chief, Burger as council president. That's the ticket!

Anonymous said...

Stiff the boro, internet tough guy. Go ahead, do it. Make everybody else pay the difference. I doubt you have the guts but knock yourself out. I hope they come after you. Too bad the boro doesn't spend enough enforcing the rules against scofflaw cranks like you. Rules are rules, but not for you, I guess.

Rose A. Parques said...

I'm striking a blow for liberty in Morrisville. Freedom from taxes. Don't pay the increase!

Anonymous said...

Heavy emphasis on the blow.

Anonymous said...

Vote was unanimous. Guess they're all liberals. Liberal Debby Smith wanted even more spending.

Anonymous said...

First budget in recent history to pass unanimously and not be vetoed by mayor. It's about time.

Anonymous said...

Ledger can still veto, right?

Anonymous said...

I attribute more people watching with getting party of no obstructionists off their butts and behaving better. I use the term better loosely.

Anonymous said...

The real Rosa Parks refused to give up 8 percent of her bus seat in the colored section to a white man in 1955 Jim Crow Montgomery Alabama. She's got nothing on you in terms of courage and guts.

Mike Honcho said...

I loved the fact that the Dave Rivella Campaign promise was a complete lie.

There never was a plan to hire three (3) new officers, it was all a bunch of politicspeak.

40% does not build confidence.

Anonymous said...

A complete lie?! What are you talking about? Thankfully, Dave Rivella continues to try to work for Morrisville in spite of losers who don't even know him who are intent on bashing him every chance they get. Did he promise to hire three officers? I don't remember that at all. I do know that at the last council meeting he stopped a motion to table the hiring of officers, but we won't hear you talking about that.

Mike Honcho, move on, spin something else. Try working for and not against something. You are once again showing what a small person you are.

Anonymous said...

To me it looked like Dave made council accountable for moving forward with hiring the officers they budgeted for. Did I miss something?

Anonymous said...

From the last meeting, there was a motion to table the motion for hiring officers. Some wanted to put it off until January. I can't remember the reason. It ended up being a 4/4 vote with Eileen, Todd, Debbie and Dave voting to hire now. Rita had to decide and went with hiring now.

It was merely voting for what was budgeted for 2014.

This isn't to say the budget can't be opened up again in 2014 to allow for more officers, or that part time officers can't be hired to fill any openings or that money from other areas cannot be reallocated into the police budget to allow for any of the above.

I certainly would not call Dave's vote a lie. Mike Honcho produce your documentation that states that Dave made a campaign promise of hiring three new officers. I know you can't because it is you who is the liar.

Anonymous said...

"Mike Honcho produce your documentation that states that Dave made a campaign promise of hiring three new officers."

ME Tired of BS said...

I don't know how "Mike Honcho" can even try to say Dave would have said he would hire 3 officers the Mayor doesn't have the power to hire anybody