Date: Fri 03-May-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Borough-budget-

Full Text:

Borough Budget Ok'd

The Borough of Newtown's proposed $153,511 budget for 1996-97 was approved at

a public meeting Tuesday evening at Town Hall South.

The budget requires a tax rate of 1.05 mills, a 25 percent decrease from the

current 1.40 mill rate, primarily because of property revaluation and

increased revenue from commercial development.

Spending will increase by $26,385, mostly due to an appropriation of $18,950

required for the Newtown Health District. Revenues also will increase,

however, including $17,650 which the Town of Newtown will reimburse the

borough for the health district appropriation. The reimbursement formula was

created when the health district was formed so that borough residents, who

also pay town taxes, wouldn't be taxed twice for health services.

The largest items in the proposed budget are $56,100 for the rental of fire

hydrants in the borough and $27,000 for street lighting, an increase of

$1,000.

Legal fees increased from $3,000 to $7,000, mostly because of lawsuits filed

by Main Street resident Edwin Baumer against the borough in his efforts to

stop the expansion of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library. The proposed budget also

includes $1,200 for legal advertising, an increase of $450, and $2,000 for

elections next year.

Zoning fees collected from new and renovated businesses are expected to

increase to $10,000 next year, up from $2,500 this year, largely because of

such building projects as the new shopping center plans for the Big Y.