Lower Merion Budget Met With Criticism

Lower Merion residents criticized the proposed 2012 township budget and the handling of capital projects on Wednesday night when the Lower Merion Board of Commissioners held public hearings about the budget and 2012-2017 Capital Improvement Plan.

The proposed 2012 budget recommends no real estate tax millage increase; if approved, the tax rate would remain the same as 2011, at 4.19 mills on each one dollar of assessed valuation.

“It appears to me this is quite a cynical election year budget with a zero percent tax increase and it overloads 2013, 2014,” said Hugh Gordon of Ardmore.

Gordon also questioned the township’s transparency.

“The longevity bonuses are lumped together with the salaries so you can’t tell what the actual salaries are,” Gordon said.

Wynnewood resident Carl Watson said he is concerned about reductions to the Equipment Fund.

“We are essentially mortgaging our future,” Watson said.

Watson said he is also concerned that “a very small portion of the general fund is for fire services” because it poses a public safety issue.

“Since we have an all-volunteer organization, which is not exactly growing right now, those paid positions are really important to make sure the work gets done,” Watson said.

Capital Improvements

The 2012-2017 Capital Improvement Plan provides for $22.3 million in capital funding and is funded by the township’s Capital Projects Fund; federal, state and county grants; the sanitary sewer fund; and private contributions, the township’s Chief Financial Officer Dean Dortone said during his presentation last week.

Major projects scheduled for 2012 as part of the Capital Improvement Plan include Bala Library Renovations, $6 million; Ardmore Transit Center, $3 million (the project is primarily funded from sources other than the township); Renovations, $2.9 million; Pennswood Bridge Reconstruction, $2.6 million (primarily funded from sources other than the township); rotomilling and road reconstruction, $1 million; Storm Water Facilities Management Project, $.6 million; Cynwyd Trail, $0.5 million (primarily funded from sources other than the township), Dortone said last week.

Bernie McNamee of Gladwyne criticized what he termed “ward governance as it relates to capital projects.

McNamee said “certain board members drive capital projects, including our libraries,” or in other words have “pet projects” they support.

“I look to these projects to be Douglas Cleland projects and not commissioners’ projects,” McNamee said, referring to the Township Manager Cleland.

Township Fees

After holding a public hearing, the board approved a proposal to amend an ordinance concerning township fees, which calls for the elimination, creation or increase of certain township fees.

The amendment includes increases in fees for electrical standards, plumbing permits, plumbing runoff and erosion control; subdivision and land development; uniform construction code, watercourses and zoning.

Before passing the amendment, the board removed historic preservation fees from the list and plans to discuss the fees further this winter.

During the public hearing, Lori Salganicoff, historic preservation director for the , asked the township not to increase historic preservation fees.

Because Pennsylvania is one of the few states in the country which does not provide historic preservation tax incentives, the Conservancy would like to see the reduction or elimination of fees as an incentive until which time Pennsylvania adopts legislation, Salganicoff said.