(12/2102) On Tuesday, November 13th, the Borough Council met and approved the advertisement of the proposed 2013 Budget. This action made the proposed 2013 Budget available for residents review prior to its final adoption at the December 11th meeting. The 2013 Budget is the end-product of a three step review process over a three month period. The first review is performed by the Borough Manager when analyzing the Borough Department submissions. The second review is performed by the Finance Committee. The third review is performed by the Borough Council during their Budget Workshop. At the November meeting, the public was given the opportunity to review the proposed budget. This budget predicts total revenues of $1,820,223 and an expenditure of $1,797,468 leaving a balance of $22,755 in the black.

The tentative budget is based on a millage rate of 2.45 mills that is 24.5 cents on each one hundred dollars of assessed valuation which means there will be no Carroll Valley Borough tax increase for 2013. However, you need to realize that while the Borough is remaining at the same level as last year, we do not know what the county or school district will do with their millage rate. The Borough tax is only a small portion of the total Property Taxes paid by you. The distribution of the total tax paid breaks down as follows: Carroll Valley is 15.63%, Adams County is 23.82% and Fairfield School District is 60.55%. If interested, a copy of the preliminary budget can be reviewed at the Borough office. I have been told that an online version will be available by going to the Carroll Valley Borough website at www.carrollvalley.org.

Thanksgiving is behind us and now on to December. To some, December could be a stressful especially for those who have lost a loved one. Also, there is a prediction that according to the Mayan calendar this December will be the end of time. I, like you, cannot predict the future. But I do know that being with love ones, friends and neighbors will help us all weather any storm we experience. December does have some unique and spiritual holidays. Hanukkah is celebrated from December 9th through December 16th. National Chocolate Covered Anything Day is celebrated on December 16th. I had to include this one for those chocolate lovers who need an excuse to have a piece of you know what. December 21st is the start of winter, also known as "the winter solstice". This is the shortest day of the year. After this date, the days start getting longer. Christmas is on the December 25th and the first day of Kwanzaa falls on December 26th. Oh yes, National Chocolate Day is December 26th. December is definitely a chocolate month.

The holiday season is upon us and many of us will awake on Christmas morning to the joy of finding presents under the tree. Some families in our Fairfield zip code area will not be as fortunate. For many reasons, those families will not have presents to open on Christmas Day. Because of this, Toys for Tots was created. The Toys for Tots program is an annual toy drive sponsored by the United States Marine Corp.

The goal of this program is to make sure every child has a present on Christmas morning. If you want to help to bring a smile to a child, please consider donating a new unwrapped toy. You can place your gift in the Toys for Tots Donation Box in the lobby of the Carroll Valley Borough Office by December 14th. Bill Eckert the campaign director is looking for families that are in need, so if you have any information of a family that may benefit from this campaign please contact Bill at (717) 655-5411 or (717) 830-6912. Confidentiality will be honored. The distribution date will be on Sunday, December 16th at the Fairfield Fire Hall. Distribution will start promptly at 12:00 pm and close at 5:00 pm. Those in need have to be pre-registered by December 14th by contacting Bill Eckert. I have been told that this will be Bill’s last year as the campaign director. Thank you Bill for your relentless effort in trying to ensure those children in need would find a toy. And, I would also like to thank those in our community for their support of the Toys for Tots Program.

As we all know, Carroll Valley has several beautiful parks. Whether walking pets, jogging, playing with children on the playground, or playing basketball, these parks create opportunities for residents of our community to come together and enjoy themselves. Three Fairfield Area High School students are in the process of working with the Carroll Valley Borough to enhance these parks. They want to give back to the community by building twenty picnic tables to be placed throughout the three parks.

To accomplish this task, they need your help by donating funds to construct of one or more picnic tables. A single picnic table requires a donation of $75, and in return they will build a table and place an engraved plate on the table with any message you wish. Whether you want to honor a loved one, promote your business, or pay tribute to a fallen soldier, you can leave your lasting impression in one of Carroll Valley’s beautiful community parks by sponsoring a table. If interested, please call (717) 642-6635 or email srruppert@gmailcom. Checks can be made payable to the Carroll Valley Borough, and receipts will be provided for a tax deduction. Please consider supporting these young men: Samuel Ruppert, Cameron Howe, and Patrick Little in their efforts.

The Carroll Valley Citizens Association (CVCA) is partnering with the Fairfield Fire and EMS to hold their Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 8th from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. I have been told by an air traffic controller that Santa plans to arrive at 9:00 am. If you plan to attend and bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots program, you will eat for free. As always, there will be lots of fun for the kids. On the evening of December 8th, a Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held behind the Carroll Valley Borough Office at 6:00 pm. Come and join your neighbors by experiencing the lighting of the tree, singing some Christmas carols and drinking hot chocolate. I want to thank the Carroll Valley Municipal Services for decorating the tree and park area. The CVCA Holiday Gala is plan for Saturday, December 15th at 6:30 pm at the Carriage House in Emmitsburg, MD. If you interested in purchasing dinner tickets, call Charles Dalton at (717) 642-5844.

Borough meetings and office closures in November are: Planning Commission (Dec 3rd), Public Safety Committee (Dec 10th), Borough Council (Dec 11th), and Parks/Recreation Committee (Dec 19th). The Borough Office will be closed on Dec 24th and Dec 25th. Please reduce your speed to make sure you, your loved ones, your friends and neighbors will be safe. If you have any questions call me at (301) 606-2021 or email at mayor@carrollvalley.org. Happy Holidays and I wish you good health and happiness topped with loads of good fortune in 2013. Happy New Year!