Meeting Recap
POTTSTOWN, PA – Some very positive movements occurred during last night’s Pottstown School Board Committee of the Whole meeting.
One of the most notable events of the evening was the naming of former district business manager Jim Bush to head up School Board President Rick Huss’ newly formed President’s Task Force.
Today’s online edition of The Mercury briefly mentioned it, and if you haven’t already, you can read it here:
James Bush named to head Pottstown school task force
A more detailed article on Jim Bush’s appointment can be read here:
Pottstown schools task force to be headed by former administrator
Roy over at Roy’s Rants has a good write-up from last night’s meeting also. You can read his comments here.
Another lively discussion occurred when Code Blue representative Jeff Lefar addressed the board and raised issues with the current high number of unpaid property taxes and the less than aggressive method currently in place to get those back taxes paid. Yesterday, we posted a report from Portnoff Law Associates listing those property owners who owe school real estate taxes from the past several years. Here’s the report again, just in case you missed it:
Pottstown School District Unpaid Real Estate Taxes
The time is NOW to get tough with the serial deadbeats who have continuously played Pottstown for a fool by ignoring their long overdue tax bills. For far too long, Pottstown has been getting the short end of the stick. From neighboring townships getting a free ride on water treatment to serial deadbeat property owners who refuse to pay their bills. If any of us stopped paying our water bills or tax bills, a member of the county’s law enforcement team would soon enough be ringing our doorbells…or our water would get shut off. But yet, these deadbeats continue to abuse the system and there are no repercussions. And we’re the ones who have to deal with their rental properties and problem tenants who cost Pottstown in more ways than one.
If you’re not as incensed about this issue as we are…then you need to check to see if you can still fog a mirror.
Next Thursday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. Borough Manager Jason Bobst will be holding a ward meeting at the North End Fire Company. The meeting is open to any resident of Pottstown, so please attend the meeting and ask what is being done to collect the taxes owed to Pottstown. What steps are being taken to address the serial deadbeats who continue to thumb their noses to us law abiding taxpayers?
The issue is absolutely maddening and a quality of life issue for those of us in Pottstown continually stuck paying someone else’s tab.
It would be interesting to see if in any number crunching a price tag could be placed in the shortages of unpaid taxes that have reulsted in added fees for the law abiding citizens; I think that woould put a big perspective on this and get more people to address this issue. A hard line must be drawn in the sand now to send a message loud and claer that this will not be allowed to continue and there will be reprecussions for ALL offenders (yes, even the ‘little old ladies’).
The compassion the SD should show is to help people that might file a formal hardship letter with other types of repayment terms BUT allowing debt to go unpaid costs us all in SO many other ways it is hard to comprehend. This ‘tab’ is past due and must be paid – that is fiscally responsible and right. Establishing a hard line will build us up and help us to become a better town and attract the people I think we all would like to see in this community. Caring, responsible and concerned residents make a town and we are in need of those people, remember ‘it takes a village’.
Sure these are tough times and yes it might make those that support this type of effort look harsh and less compassionate BUT our bank accounts are bleeding and we need to heal them so that we are on ‘solid ground’ when the Task Force and Partnership Pottstown implement improvement initiatives; otherwise the vicious cycle ia allowed to continue for generations to come!!
Stop the free rides and let’s hold our residents and others accountable to fund the town; isn’t that what we pay taxes for? We need to change the culture of the town and levy fines and consequences for putting the welfare of all residents in jeopardy!!
Congratulations again to Board President Rick Huss for his choice of Jim Bush to head up his President’s Task Force. Excellent choice, excellent man!
Based on what I heard from the meeting last night, here is where I see the unpaid tax situation.
Mr.Kalis indicated that Portnoff is collecting 94% of the taxes due each year, and the impression I received from him was that is something to be proud of. I don’t buy it. Collections should be 100%. The 6% that goes uncollected does actually get paid-by you and me paying 6% higher taxes yearly to cover the deadbeats.
It was my impression that most SB members seemed to be in the dark on this subject.
There was over $2 million in unpaid taxes for 2009 that was turned over to Portnoff early this year. Assuming that Portnoff collects 94% of that, we (folks who pay) are still on the hook for $120,000, just for last year.
The SB may still be “compassionate” towards folks who don’t pay. Why? According to Mr.Kalis, the SD would have to do tax foreclosure sales on all deadbeats, they could not pick and choose. The question I would have to ask the SB is why? Why are you choosing to be compassionate towards deadbeats and punish the folks who pay their fair share by forcing them to pay the deadbeats share?
I think that if you started foreclosure auctions against the biggest deadbeats, the smaller fish would get scared and pay their bills. We would not have to force sales on everyone who is currently behind.
School Board members, it is time to stand up for the decent hard working tax payers and take a stand against the landlords and other deadbeats.
Power to the Pottstown people!! Jeff Leflar, Code Blue
Check out the following link to an article on the Mercury’s website regarding the need for more low income housing in places like Pottstown.
Michele Pargeon
http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/2010/04/09/business/srv0000007995838.txt