Proposed North Codorus budget has 75 percent tax hike

[Debra - NCT]

I agree if you are lucky enough not to have the sewer you should not have to pay for that service. I didn't need the sewer but I was forced to hook up. Look at the sewer map. It doesn't cover 1/5 of NCT. And a family of 1 pays the same as a family of 7 for the sewer. Is that fair? NO. Now they suggest I pay $350 qtr/$1,400 yr?? Equipment & improvements are supposed to be budgeted for way in advance - just like we private citizens have to do. How about some creative fund raisers to help out? The renters need to contribute too. They also have children in schools raising our taxes for the improvements. According to the Yr. 2000 Census, there were 8,000 people in NCT. You know there has to be more people 9 years later. Why can't they create a realistic budget we can live with? Go to this site for Oct. 2009 Budget Meeting minutes and get the whole sob story: http://www.northcodorustwp.com/assets/pdf/min...

[Allen Ytwp Resident]

NCT is very fortunate to have some of Mark Derr's caliber. His qualifications are well beyond what is required of a twp. mgr. The problem was dumped in his lap to fix. Remember he has only been there a few months. Probably for the first time there has been an accurate assessment of the roads, facilities and equipment.Perhaps it's time to review your fee structures and revenue sources. Talk to anyone at YTwp. and you'll hear nothing but positive responses. NCT you are facing some very tough times and choices. Choose wisely and not emotionally.

[YCGO]

Plus, a 3/4-mill real-estate tax increase would mean taxes on the township's average assessed residential property, valued at $128,809, would jump from about $128 to about $225... or appx 11% of what you would pay in muni tax if the property were in the city.

[NCT Resident]

Allen Ytwp Resident wrote:

NCT is very fortunate to have some of Mark Derr's caliber. His qualifications are well beyond what is required of a twp. mgr. The problem was dumped in his lap to fix. Remember he has only been there a few months. Probably for the first time there has been an accurate assessment of the roads, facilities and equipment.Perhaps it's time to review your fee structures and revenue sources. Talk to anyone at YTwp. and you'll hear nothing but positive responses. NCT you are facing some very tough times and choices. Choose wisely and not emotionally.

How great it is for anyone from the outside, looking in, to tell us how to feel. If we don't get emotional and fight back, the government will continue to walk all over us! I agree with the other NCT resident- I did not need nor want this sewer. It came into my home at the initial cost of $5200, funded only by my family's checkbook. The streets and roads are in horrible shape as there was no money from the township to properly fix them after the construction and hookups were done. We have had to stomach the potholes, the crappy paving fixes, the driveway damage my property received, the already inflated quarterly bill and will not stomach this any longer. The builder of Colonial Crossings pulled a fast one on the township with the switcheroo of the temporary sewer plant into a perm one. Now the rest of us have to pay for his trick and the township failing to correct this problem!

[NCT Mad]

Do the Supervisors get paid? Is so how much? How long are there terms of office? Obviously you don't need qualifications if this kind of mess was allowed to happen.

[Allen Ytwp Resident]

NCT Resident wrote:

<quoted text>
How great it is for anyone from the outside, looking in, to tell us how to feel. If we don't get emotional and fight back, the government will continue to walk all over us! I agree with the other NCT resident- I did not need nor want this sewer. It came into my home at the initial cost of $5200, funded only by my family's checkbook. The streets and roads are in horrible shape as there was no money from the township to properly fix them after the construction and hookups were done. We have had to stomach the potholes, the crappy paving fixes, the driveway damage my property received, the already inflated quarterly bill and will not stomach this any longer. The builder of Colonial Crossings pulled a fast one on the township with the switcheroo of the temporary sewer plant into a perm one. Now the rest of us have to pay for his trick and the township failing to correct this problem!

You have very right to be mad and you should be furious. All I'm saying is to look closely and find the facts as to what caused this mess.

[Wow]

WTH wrote:

I'd like to know how many of these complaining NCT residents actually bothered to vote last Tuesday. Do you realize you voted in the same board member that caused this whole mess?????? DUH!!!!!!!!!!

Exactly. Then they will try to cut other departments like the police to make up for mistakes. This is getting old. Every year, there's another problem.

[factfinder]

How many of you residents complaining ever attended a twp. meeting? As a resident I have attend meetings in excess of 6 years, and recognized a runaway train, where were you? And remebre we have always had LOW taxes, you get what you pay for. And West Manchester gets by on development, 1 housing development brings in more taxe base then 10 farms in clean and green, don't be so stupid, do the math. Controlled growth serve all when it comes to financial responsibilty. This problem has been growing for the past 7 years, why panic now, before you did not care. Maybe someone with guts will tell the truth and address the problem. And the old eqquipment remember who gets sued when someone is hurt, you the tax payer. Wonder why other areas have prospered and NCT kept going down hiil, guess the good ole boys did not do such a hot job, let professionals have a shot at fixing the mess, and by the wat see you all at every meeting, including the sewer authority.

[factfinder]

PS: supervisors terms are 6 years, and in this case not all get paid, 1 will not take the money but has the twp. donate the salary to non-profits like the library and fire depts. If you would be at a meeting you would have heard that fisaco.And by the way the state does not have a criteria for elected officials, they trust the voters to do their honmework on the best QUALIFIED canidate, look what it got you.

[going broke]

Bend over here it comes again and again and again, the tax raises will never stop.

[NCT Resident]

I have been to meetings in the past, but there's not much that seemed to get accomplished at them. I do keep up with the meetings by reading the minutes posted on the township website. Factfinder- does this mean you do not care that the township you know so much about doesn't give a crap about how you will cover their expenses with your added taxes and bills? Or are you just a township official in disguise?

[Mark]

NCT Resident wrote:

<quoted text>
How great it is for anyone from the outside, looking in, to tell us how to feel. If we don't get emotional and fight back, the government will continue to walk all over us! I agree with the other NCT resident- I did not need nor want this sewer. It came into my home at the initial cost of $5200, funded only by my family's checkbook. The streets and roads are in horrible shape as there was no money from the township to properly fix them after the construction and hookups were done. We have had to stomach the potholes, the crappy paving fixes, the driveway damage my property received, the already inflated quarterly bill and will not stomach this any longer. The builder of Colonial Crossings pulled a fast one on the township with the switcheroo of the temporary sewer plant into a perm one. Now the rest of us have to pay for his trick and the township failing to correct this problem!

You're right, the developer at Colonial Crossings is laughing all the way to the bank while the North Codorus Township sewer customers are taking the hit in their pocketbooks! The majority of the financial problems of the Sewer Authority stem from the issue with Colonial Crossings but how many residents really care enough to find out the whole story? This one issue has the potential to bankrupt the Authority and because of the Guarantee by the Township has the potential to bankrupt them as well! The residents need to get involved. It's a shame it takes an article like this before they do.

[no comrade]

Viktor wrote:

Keep your socialism and panic button mentality, Oscar. The Township system works fine, there are plenty of examples where the system works extremely well. Any system will do poorly with bad leadership and irresponsible fiscal management.
If regionalized government was the answer, then we would expect that York County government would run like clockwork....and as we all know nothing could be further from the truth.
Someone in North Codorus needs to have the guts and the brains to take care of business. If that person isn't around, yelling at the idiots in charge will just be yelling at idiots and hoping they somehow grow brains overnight.

No. The current system doesn't work well.
There have been studies done and proposal made many times over the years.
Consolidating townships would only lower taxes and save money.
Why is that bad. And how does it equate to socialism?

I have lived in several states with only county governments. And they were much more efficient than the hodge podge of crap this state has.

And yes, all governments require competent folks to run it.

[Jake]

I agree that the Township needs intellegent and expierenced management. To the township residents who just elected the former board member. You have nothing to complain about!

[factfinder]

Not an official but a resident who attends the different meetings, and does care but also understands, problems that took years to create do not get fixed overnight.

[confused nct resident]

how could the board put us in such finacial misery? was that not the job of the previous manager to direct the board to wise choices? now we finally have an intellegent manager at the helm to reconize the problem. let him lead us to the success he has done for york twp.

[Haywood Jablomy]

Well well well, so now they're concerned that an increase in sewer rates wouldn't be fair to the people that wouldn't use it. Why doesn't this stop them from taking school taxes from people who don't, and never have sent any children to their schools?

[Debra - NCT]

WHO will attend the meeting today??
I will be there and I hope to find some of you posters there as well. This is supposed to be a "discussion". I think the board needs to know that the residents do care and will support a different solution than the one proposed in the article. How can we help?? We do need to dig our way out but not all in one fiscal year. It took years of poor spending to get to this point, it cannot be solved overnight by taxing us to death. If they proceed with this proposal against our wishes, they will see even more FOR SALE signs going up in our community. We won't be able to afford to live here.

[Gohomebaltimore]

Next time my fellow NCT residents pass Colonial crossing, the little Baltimoron dump on Noss rd none of us wanted, just wave, not only do my taxes pay our police to control their crime, I'll now be paying for their sewer

[Debra - NCT]

The meeting: The TWP Board says that they are a seperate entity than the NCT Sewer Authority. OK. Then how can the TWP be held accountable for insufficient funding problems of the Sewer Authority? This text from Oct 09 meeting minutes - "When the bonds were issued, the Authority was required to purchase an insurance policy to cover the bond holders in this type of situation. The policy was written by XL Capital Assurance, a company that was caught up in this past year’s financial meltdown. As a result, the policy is now virtually worthless. As a result, everything falls back to the Township and the Authority and unfortunately, the only responsible alternative is a combination of tax and user rate increases" -end quote.
We residents- ALL OF US - not just the 800 unlucky households hooked up to sewer, need to brainstorm and find a workable solution to this issue. This TWP board did not create the sewer problem. Albeit, the previous TWP board did a lot of spending beyond their means. That also needs to be addressed. The "Sewer AUTHORITY" created the current problem along with some very bad luck or poor judgement -however you choose to see it. Regardless, finger-pointing at this stage is counter productive. Lets come up with some constructive ideas to get OUR TWP OUT OF THIS MESS without dumping on those folks with sewer. How about some community fund raisers? Use that community building we are all paying for and put it to good use. Hold a function, dinner, dance, bingo - something where to proceeds will be held by a "Trustworthy source" to be put towards our deficit. Come on people - lets pull TOGETHER! The next Sewer Authority meeting is Monday at 7pm. Be there and Be constructive!