Trending
We don't know the specific details of what the City of Lock Haven is proposing with its unionized police department, only that the city manager and negotiating committee are seeking a reduction in police coverage to reduce costs to taxpayers.
A matter of priorities: Think about that. Taxes vs. police services. Higher taxes or 24-hour police coverage?
Of course there are a lot of other factors that come into play within the city's nearly $15 million budget.
And would officers see less money in their pockets from the proposal?
Perhaps most city taxpayers, property owners and businesses aren't aware that 37 percent of the property within the city's boundaries is tax exempt.
That's a huge bite out of the income pie.
We are seeing proposals to consolidate-regionalize-share police services across our region as costs escalate across the board.
The city has made significant investment in infrastructure -- from streets to sanitary sewer to reservoirs and water.
We know the city is being frugal.
We believe City Council wants to avoid another tax increase in the coming year.
As perhaps one of the top two budgeted annual costs, the manager and council are now working to trim expenses for police services.
Yes, the city needs to tackle the high number of tax-exempt properties and target selected nonprofits for contributions or in lieu-of-tax payments to pay their fair share.
We agree with the attempt by the city to get the five-plot property on the 300 block of Bellefonte Avenue on the tax rolls.
It's a large property with significant rental income that is owned by a trust. Council voted to appeal a portion of that property, the Family Dollar and its parking lot, to the county's tax assessment board to have it placed on the tax roll.
In today's inflationary environment when everyone is seeing the cost of living rise rather dramatically -- from food to energy to services -- it is worth fighting for every tax dollar so long as expenses are kept reasonable.