Chester County Real Estate News: March 1st
‘Green Expo’ set for Saturday in Chester County
Caln Township will host a “Green Expo” this Sat., Feb.27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Thorndale United Methodist Church, 3503 Lincoln Highway. The expo, sponsored by the Caln Township Board of Commissioners and the Caln Township Conservation and Renewable Energy Task Force, will feature informational sessions and exhibits focused on conservation. Topics will include solar energy, geothermal HVAC, home energy audits and green energy financing, and vendors will showcase their green products and services. March 6 is the snow date. For more information and a schedule of sessions, call 610-384-0600, ext. 148.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 2/24/2010
County sale of two downtown West Chester buildings may impact community
West Chester has an opportunity in the coming months to join with other parties in the creation of a new landscape for the center block of its downtown business district. Chester County is in the process of selling two of its larger buildings in the downtown center block: the Mosteller Building; and the North Wing of the Chester County Courthouse, which houses the county treasurer’s office and the commissioners’ administrative facilities. The county has made the decision to begin marketing the two properties as one, in hopes of finding a buyer more efficiently. While county officials have signaled that they will keep the borough’s development plans in mind during the sales process, they have also promised to seek the maximum value on the property in the interest of taxpayers. Last week, West Chester Borough Council forwarded the county a copy of a study done by the West Chester Business Improvement District (BID) that lays out a vision of what the BID and, by extension, council would like to see happen with the sale. The county has promised that it will preserve the 1848 courthouse and its 1892 annex, so any thought that those properties might be threatened should be put to rest. The county will also keep as its own the courthouse fountain and pocket park that sit along North High Street.
Source: Daily Local; 2/24/2010
Big tax hike looms in Spring-Ford school district
While many details must still be worked out, Spring-Ford Area School District’s budget for 2010-11 currently includes a 6.98 percent tax increase for property owners. The school board approved its $129.4 million preliminary budget Feb. 15, because it legally was required to do so. However, officials say it’s premature to know the extent of property tax hikes until a few things are made clear, such as knowing the state’s funding allocation. If the school district receives adequate state funding, then the property tax hike could be lowered to a 5.22 percent increase.
Source: Daily Local; 2/24/2010
New budget requires tax hike for Downingtown Area
The Downingtown Area School Board unanimously passed a preliminary budget Wednesday that will not allow the district to apply for any exceptions and will set a cap on the potential tax increase at 2.9 percent. Wednesday was the last date available for the board to pass a preliminary budget. The district’s administration is still working on budget cuts to remain within the allowed 2.9 percent increase. A spokesperson for the district said about $1.4 million in cuts will be necessary to balance the budget with a 2.9 percent property tax increase. More than $1 million has already been cut from an initial budget presented in December. The 2.9 percent increase would take the district’s tax rate from 25.5 mills to 26.2 mills.
Source: Daily Local; 2/23/2010
Owen J. Roberts School budget falls $1.6 million short
The Owen J. Roberts School Board approved a preliminary budget for the 2010-11 school year that seeks two special exceptions that would allow the board, if necessary, to raise taxes beyond the state’s taxing index. As the budget now stands, the district would experience a $1.6 million shortfall, even if the board levies the 2.9 percent real estate tax hike allowable under Pennsylvania’s Act 1 taxing index. For that reason, the board agreed to apply for two “referendum exceptions” from the state Department of Education. The exceptions, if approved by the state and district voters, would allow for a much greater tax increase of 5.2 percent. But even that would leave the district $300,000 in the red. The board qualifies for two referendum exceptions — one pertaining to special education costs and another to retirement funds. By law, the district must apply for those exceptions this month to be able to use them, if needed, in June. The preliminary budget is a starting document for the board that will likely be trimmed significantly before the final budget is approved in June. More information about the budget is available on the district’s Web site, www.ojrsd.com.
Source: Daily Local; 2/24/2010
