Wrightstown see no local purpose tax

Wrightstown Borough officials released their year 2000 budget during last week's council meeting. It featured no local purpose tax to support it for the 11th year in a row.

The budget totaled $895,100 and includes $478,132 in state aid and will utilize $135,000 surplus.

A decrease of approximatley $87,000 is reflected in the spending plan from the '99 budget which included a $200,000 small cities grant.

"We're up a little in order to pay off some debt but we have no local purpose tax," Borough Auditor Ron Ghrist said.

Ghrist added that the borough has a tax collection rate of 96.5 percent. "We still have some surplus left over for next year," Ghrist said. A public hearing on the budget will be held on March 8, at 7 p.m.

"I am very happy about the budget. Our tax collector (Harold Griffin) did a good job," Mayor Farago said.

In other business the council introduced ordinances concerning employee salaries and for an administrative code.

Mayor Jozef Farago said that "I know the council has questions about this but this does not empower the mayor any additional powers. If we do not pass this we can not enforce our ordinance in the business campus which is why it was proposed."

Council President Tom Harper urged its passage on first reading. "Any questions we have can be asked in the 30 days between."

"This ordinance is by the book," Solicitor Nick Costa added. Council members also cleared the way for the passage of a bond anticipation note for a new dump truck. "We went with the options we felt we should have," Council President Harper said. "We are in dire need of this (dump truck," the mayor said.

The borough council received bond notes from Farmers and Mechanics Bank at 4 1/2 percent, Summit Bank at 4.7 percent and Commerce bank at 4.4 percent concerning resolutions for the recreation equipment/dump truck, the borough's $236,062 fire truck purchase and the business park infrastructure.

Councilman Bob Spann added that "the next time we have snow East Main Street area streets need to be clear. I'm going to ask our enforcement officer to do his duty and site those who do not move their vehicles."

Mayor Farago noted surprise at the news of the New Hanover School's expansion and that a public referendum on the project was about to be approved. The mayor said that the council had not received details of the project's specifications.

Councilman Spann noted that it might have been to early for the borough to receive such specifications during this stage of the project.

The project will have to go to a public vote and will also have to go before the borough's Joint Land Use Board.