Hellertown Borough Council Approves 2012 Budget

By a vote of 5-2, Hellertown Borough Council members approved an amended 2012 final budget at their Dec. 5 meeting. In so doing, they delivered a temporary reprieve to two full-time police officers who could have been laid off.

The two officers were hired at the beginning of this year, after the borough was awarded a restricted funds grant for more than $160,000 by the Northampton County Gaming Revenue and Economic Redevelopment Authority. , had it been approved.

Last month, appealed the authority to reconsider the application, but .

The purpose of the gaming authority's restricted funds grants is to help municipalities in close proximity to the City of Bethlehem offset impacts that have resulted from the opening of the Sands casino, such as increased traffic congestion and public safety concerns.

Before amending the 2012 budget to include an additional $60,000 that will finance the officers' employment through June 30, 2012, council members met in executive session.

"We're going to do everything we can to keep these two officers," council vice president John Bate said later at the meeting.

"We're going to be working on (obtaining) grant money with the casino," council president Phil Weber added.

However, since there is no guarantee of another gaming authority grant award, Bate also advised the two officers to consider other employment opportunities should they arise.

"If something comes up, I would expect both of you to take a look at it," he told officers Michael Twerdi and Timothy Piotrowski.

Mayor Richard Fluck, who oversees the Hellertown Police Department, told council that he was satisfied with the budget as it was amended.

In addition to Shupp, a number of borough police officers--both in and out of uniform--attended the meeting in a display of solidarity for their colleagues.

The 2012 borough budget approved by council includes a .75 mill tax increase, which means that the owner of a property assessed at $50,000 will pay approximately $37.50 more in property taxes next year.

The increase in the property tax brings the total property tax millage rate in Hellertown to 17.75 mills, which, when combined with the borough's unchanged 1.5 mill fire tax, equals a total millage rate of 19.25 mills.

The two council members to vote against approval of the final budget were Stephanie Kovacs and Tom Rieger.