During their meeting on Tuesday, February 12, the East Allen Township Board of Supervisors asked solicitor Joe Piperato to draft a letter of opposition to Governor Tom Wolf’s state police fee proposal.
If the proposal is passed, East Allen Township would pay over $100,000 per year for the Pennsylvania State Police. This would mean a tax increase for citizens.
“You are going to pay for what you are already paying for…more,” said Supervisor Mark Schwartz.
Supervisors argued that citizens are already paying for these police services in a hidden state tax. Meanwhile, Governor Wolf’s office said that as more municipalities are turning to state police services, costs of the program are going up.
Schwartz, who works for the state police, said that as a citizen he is against this proposal.
“There is not any more service that is going to be provided,” he said.
Supervisor Roger Unangst added that he was frustrated by the way municipalities were warned of this proposal.
“Why did we have to find out about this from the newspaper and not the government?” he asked.
Several other local municipalities have spoken out against the proposal.
During their meeting, supervisors also gave a progress update on the demolition of the former Weaversville juvenile facility. Borough manager Brent Green estimates that the building will be demolished in roughly three weeks.
All of the building’s wood, metal, and masonry materials are being separated during demolition. This will prevent them from ending up in a landfill.
The procedure is very “conscientious” according to borough engineer James Milot.
Supervisors also approved the demolition of the farmhouse, which will follow the demolition of the main building. Supervisors motioned that costs will not exceed $35,000. This includes asbestos removal.
Finally, the township will be applying for a PMHIC Employee Wellness Grant. This grant, which is roughly $1,000, can go toward vaccinations for township employees, active shooter training, or CPR training.
“In today’s world, I would not have a problem with [any of those programs],” said Unangst.
The next supervisors meeting will be held on Thursday, February 27.
