Budget increases by $165k, but borough announces no tax increase
By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times
DOWNINGTOWN – Borough Council passed a $7,664,654 budget for 2015 at Wednesday night’s meeting. The budget will not raise taxes from the current 7.65 mills rate and includes a projected $665,925 surplus.
The surplus is down from 2014’s $679,043 projection and the $815,756 actual surplus. The difference can largely be accredited to expenditures in the police budget, which were down in 2014 because of members of the department being on leave for various reasons as well as a $40,000 difference in wages in the streets department.
Residents also voiced multiple concerns regarding Bishop Shanahan at Wednesday night’s meeting.
Resident Maragaret Reif said that she wants the borough to pressure the St. John Vianney Center to change policies regarding patients’ ability to leave the facility without supervision. In particular, she was worried about the Center’s proximity to Bishop Shanahan, especially with some patients receiving treatment for child abuse offenses.
“It’s a matter of safety,” she said.
Reif said that patients sometimes walk over to Shanahan’s campus and watch sports practices, and one patient was even found in the school without having reason to be there.
Resident Eric Getz echoed her concern, saying that he would like to see a wrought-iron fence around the facility and protocol to notify police when child offenders are brought to the premises.
“They [St. John Vianney] should not be testing these people’s ability to cope,” he said.
Resident George Caripides spoke, voicing discontent over Shanahan’s handling of baseball games and practices. Caripides lives adjacent to the school’s baseball fields. He said that his car and house has been damaged by balls that have gone over the backstop. He also said that people urinate near the fence, and he has drainage concerns. He said that Shanahan has shown a “total disconcern and irresponsibility” toward neighbors.
Mayor Josh Maxwell suggested that the borough improve communication with the school so that neighbors’ concerns can be better addressed. Council discussed the possibility of adding stipulations next time Shanahan files for conditional use or special exception.
