2021 budget, fee schedule approved
Fee changes meant to keep up with costs, staff say
NORTH WALES » The budget was already on the books, and now the accompanying tax increase is, too.
North Wales borough council has closed out 2020 by approving their first tax increase in five years, along with a new fee schedule with several changes for 2021.
“There is a 0.5-mill increase: 0.25 for debt, 0.25 for general fund. All other face (payment) periods and penalty periods will remain the same,” said Borough Manager Christine Hart.
Council started talks in September on a $2 million borrowing for capital projects based on the town’s “North Wales 2040” long-term plan, and the hike in debt service millage that would pay for it. On Oct. 27 council saw a first draft of a 2021 budget, with the first town tax increase since 2016, then on Nov. 10 voted to advertise the budget and tax ordinance for future action, approving the budget itself on Nov. 24.
The final step in that process came on Dec. 8, with a unanimous vote to adopt the 2021 tax millage ordinance. The total tax millage for the borough starting in 2021 will be 5.501 mills, with the increase producing a roughly $40 to $60 increase for residents with the borough’s average assessed
property value of $120,000, according to borough staff. Beyond the debt service, other increases in the 2021 budget include pay increases for police and administrative staff, and road paving and a public works hire deferred in 2020 due to COVID-19.
During their year-end meeting on Dec. 8, council also approved a 2021 fee schedule, which Hart said she and Assistant Manager Alan Guzzardo recommended several minor changes.
“Mr. Guzzardo and I biannually do a review, from other boroughs and townships, to see if we’re in line, and/or if something may need to be increased, or sometimes decreased,” Hart said.
In the 2021 fee schedule, public event permits are still listed at $25, but a new surcharge may also be applied if that event requires time of borough employees, like police coverage or public works assistance.
“If it ’s something as simple as dropping off a barricade, and things of that nature, we typically don’t charge,” said the manager.
“But if it’s something where they may need a police officer, for two hours, for traffic control, or the chief feels we need to go above and beyond and have an extra person on staff, then we would invoice them,” she said.
Those ex tra charges would then be invoiced on
the borough budget as billable hours for the police or public works department, Hart said. Another eventrelated fee has also been added: rentals of the community room on the second floor of borough hall have previously been done, but not included on the fee chart, so the rental fees of $20 per hour for borough residents and $30 per hour for nonresidents are now listed.
Several borough permit fees have been increased slightly, which Hart said was meant to keep the town’s charges in line with others nearby, and which include those for fingerprinting by police and demolition permits. A change
has also been made to the price of grading permits: new language now says applicants will pay all engineering fees in excess of the $400 permit cost if necessary.
“We’re adding a disclaimer that, if it’s in excess of $400 for engineering review, and/or back and forth with the engineer, that they would be responsible for that,” Hart said.
Fees for applications to the town’s Uniform Construction Code board of appeals have also been increased, since that body is now shared with Upper Gwynedd Township and requires similar procedures as their zoning hearing boards Hart and Guzzardo said.
“What’s involved with the zoning appeal and a UCC appeal are quite similar, with advertising and having legal counsel present, so we just made it the same as the zoning (fee),” Guzzardo said.
Councilman Sal Amato asked if the demolition permits had size requirements or variable pricing depending on the size of the demolition. Guzzardo said they’re
currently a flat rate, and typically associated with building permits that would scale up or down based on the size of projects.
Councilman Eion O’Neill asked for specifics on what qualifies as an aboveground pool in the fee list, and whether inf latable pools would qualify, and Guzzardo elaborated.
“Unfortunately, the uniform construction code doesn’t distinguish between temporary pools and permanent, aboveground pools. We did look into that, and it just says ‘ Any pool that is less than two feet in height doesn’t need a building permit,’” he said.
“There’s nothing in there, unfortunately, that would distinguish between a seasonal, temporary pool versus a permanent, aboveground pool. We would have to maybe amend our code itself to distinguish between the two,” Guzzardo said.
Council President Jim Sando added that he thought the timing of the permit talk was perfect, since he had just read an article in the Pennsylvania
State Association of Boroughs magazine about the topic.
“There was a question related to permits and fees, and for clar if ic ation: the charges that we have for our various fees and permits are not meant as a revenue source, but as payments for services,” he said.
“Yes, we shouldn’t be making money. We should just be covering the cost of doing business, procedurally,” Hart replied.
Councilwoman Wendy McClure asked if residents were able to look for permits posted if a neighbor is doing work. Hart said contractors typically post those permits in front windows where projects are being done, and any permits are public record and borough staff can provide information on projects.
“It’s better to question as it’s taking place, versus after,” she said.
North Wales borough council next meets at 7 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2021; for more information visit www. NorthWalesBorough.org.