Officials enact new tax for services

The township's general fund budget for next year will be 1.07 million.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Employees of businesses located in Union Township will pay a new tax in 2007, but residential real estate taxes will stay the same.
People who are employed in the township will pay a new 42 emergency services tax in the coming year. Township supervisors said at their meeting Friday that they intend to adopt an ordinance instituting the tax at a special meeting at 4:15 p.m. Jan. 15.
For the past two years, Pennsylvania municipalities have had the option under state law of adopting the emergency services tax.
Sally Byler, township secretary-treasurer, said the tax is expected to raise about 60,000, which can be used only for the township road, police and fire departments. Byler said the tax would be taken out of the paychecks of those employed in the township in the first and second quarters of the year.
Those working in the township also pay an additional 10 to the Union Area Schools.
Real estate taxes hold steady
The 2007 township budget, adopted unanimously by Supervisors Clair Damon, Kevin Guinaugh and Pat Angiolelli, shows no increase in real estate taxes, which will remain at 1 mill and .29 mills for fire plug taxes.
Residents also will continue to pay 44 cents per foot of frontage for streetlights in improved areas and 11 cents per foot of frontage in unimproved areas.
The budget shows 1.07 million in general fund expenditures and a 75,000 balance at the end of 2006. Byler said the 2007 budget shows little change from 2006.
In other matters, supervisors approved renewing a contract with Bruce and Merrilees, New Castle, to maintain township traffic signals for 3,312 in 2007.
They approved a request from Arbor Development Group to name streets in a development across from the county airport Glen Arbor Drive, North Arbor Terrace, South Arbor Terrace and Shallow Brook. The streets, though named, have not been accepted by the township.