(11/15) Carroll Valley Borough Council members present at November’s meeting unanimously expressed support for the municipality’s first tax increase in more than a decade so it can beef up its police force.
The council voted 5-0 to advertise a 2024 budget that includes a 0.3 mill tax increase, bringing the tax rate to 2.75 mills. The hike, if passed, will cost the average property owner $75 annually according to Borough Manager Dave Hazlett. Council members Richard Mathews and Jessica Kraft were absent.
Increasing taxes to add a fourth officer indicates a change in priorities from three years ago. In 2021, the council rejected then-Police Chief Richard Hileman’s request for a fourth officer because it did not want to increase taxes. Police officers are paid $70,000 plus benefits, according to the borough’s proposed budget.
The council will vote Dec. 12 to adopt its budget. Citizens can view the proposed spending plan at www.carrollvalley.org.
Chickens, again
Hazlett’s rare absence from October’s council meeting led to the council making a decision it had no power to make.
Katlyn Weimer and Adam Colson, 8 Fawn Trail, have been asking the council for months to grant their illegal chickens an official pardon. Carroll Valley law states chickens must reside in the backyard of a property. That’s not possible for Weimer and Colson, whose house at 8 Fawn Trail aligns with the rear of their half-acre lot.
The council has gone back and forth on the issue since July. Numerous citizens have expressed support for the Weimer/Colson fowl through letters and public comment.
In October, the issue seemed to be resolved when the majority of the council voted to grant Weimer and Colson a permit for their chickens. Mathews dissented, expressing concern about violating deed restrictions.
During November’s meeting, Hazlett said the council’s vote is a moot point since Pennsylvania law forbids the council from granting a zoning waiver. Borough Solicitor Zachary Rice agreed, reiterating points he made last month that were mostly ignored.
Hazlett said he will continue to explore options for Weimer and Colson, including a possible hearing in front of the zoning hearing board or ordinance changes recommended by the planning commission.
The borough does not plan to enforce its chicken laws while it works on the issue.
