Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The local commissioners played wait-and-see with property assessments appeals.
Though some property owners won't be able to tell, the real estate property tax, or millage, rate actually dropped almost 2 full points in Baldwin Township from 2012 to 2013. The township's board of commissioners has decided on a rate of 7.80 mills for this year, down from 9.50 the previous year. However, due to a recent countywide real estate reassessment that raised the value of most Baldwin properties, many property owners in the township will still see an increase in the amount of tax dollars that they'll be responsible for this year. Leaders of most other Allegheny County municipalities set their 2013 millage rates months ago, but Baldwin Township officials were waiting to see how many Baldwin property owners were successful or even …
40.380016
-80.018164
Baldwin Township Municipal Building (Administrative Offices)
10 Community Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/baldwin-township-officials-reduce-millage-rate
1833285
/locations/9366680
Thursday, April 25, 2013
But new county assessments mean that some property owners could end up paying more.
The Baldwin-Whitehall School Board has not raised the millage rate for the B-W School District since the 2006-07 school year, and that trend is all but certain to continue for 2013-14. Mark R. Cherpak, business manager for the district, presented a preliminary budget to school board members during their most recent meeting, and Cherpak's budget shows a proposed rate of 19.21 mills for next school year—down from 23.40 in both 2011-12 and 2012-13. However, due to a recent countywide real estate reassessment that has raised the value of most Baldwin-Whitehall properties, some property owners may end up paying more in local real estate tax than they did last year. [A 19.21 rate equates to $1,921 per year for anyone with a property valued at $…
40.352561
-79.992891
Baldwin-Whitehall School District Office
4900 Curry Rd, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/budget-presented-in-baldwin-whitehall-shows-millage-decrease
1833949
/locations/9307907
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
And other notes from Tuesday night's township commissioners meeting, including a 2013 millage update.
Local Fire Crew in Need of More Support John Paravati used Tuesday night's Baldwin Township Board of Commissioners meeting to call for more support of the Castle Shannon Volunteer Fire Department, which services Baldwin Township. "The money's down with fundraising," said Paravati, a township commissioner and also its fire company Chair. "The carnival isn't doing as much as it used to. Bingo is suffering from the casinos. Equipment costs are going up." Combined with all of that, Paravati said, the fire department just purchased a new ladder truck for approximately $1 million. "They were able to pay for (it), but they sold one of our older trucks." Paravati encouraged residents to not only consider joining the local fire crew but also to …
40.365327
-80.017507
3600 Library Rd, Pittsburgh, PA
Castle Shannon Volunteer Fire Department
/articles/baldwin-twp-officials-say-more-fire-support-is-needed
/locations/8956580
40.380016
-80.018164
Baldwin Township Municipal Building (Administrative Offices)
10 Community Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/baldwin-twp-officials-say-more-fire-support-is-needed
1833285
/locations/8956581
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
'We will wait as long as we are legally allowed—into the spring—to actually enact our millage ordinance.' - township solicitor Tom McDermott
Baldwin Township's 2013 budget has been set, but Baldwin's officials still aren't sure what to set the township's millage rate at. Many taxing bodies, including Allegheny County, will see lower millage rates this year to offset increases in average property values, but Baldwin Township officials cannot yet say for sure that they will follow suit, mostly due to their township's size and limited number of properties. Baldwin Township, with only around 800 properties and truly no major developments, relies heavily on its millage rate to maintain adequate services, but county officials still have appeals to hear regarding the assessed values of around 15 township properties. And, according to township tax collector Marilyn G. Wagner, most of …
40.380016
-80.018164
Baldwin Township Municipal Building (Administrative Offices)
10 Community Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/baldwin-township-still-waiting-to-set-2013-millage
1833285
/locations/8757917
Thursday, January 24, 2013
County Controller Chelsa Wagner said on Thursday that the amount could be about $50 per average household.
An analysis by Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner has revealed that the county could be on track to overcharge the average household by $50 in property taxes in 2013. "There is a strong possibility, from the data we have analyzed, that the county is on track to gain a windfall of as much as $38 million," said Wagner, a former state representative for the district that covers part of Whitehall Borough and all of Baldwin Township, in a statement issued on Thursday. "I am calling on the administration to publicize every detail of their millage calculation to assure all taxpayers that no windfall will occur. No resident of Allegheny County should be overcharged one cent or $1, let alone $50 or more for the county's failure to act." …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The board voted, 8-1, on Wednesday to, at the very least, not exceed the school district's allowable 2.2-percent millage increase for the 2013-14 school year.
For the second straight year, Baldwin-Whitehall School District officials have gotten word from the Pennsylvania Department of Education that they cannot raise their district's millage rate, without voter approval, by more than 2.2 percent. But unlike this past year, the board's members voted, 8-1, at their meeting on Wednesday night to not apply for referendum exceptions that would have allowed them to raise the district millage rate, without voter approval, by more than that percentage. In other words, although the B-W School Board is far from setting its final millage rate for next year—it will have to do so before the end of June—the rate will not rise more than 2.2 percent above the district's current rate of 23.40 mills. In fact, …
40.352561
-79.992891
Baldwin-Whitehall School District Office
4900 Curry Rd, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/baldwin-whitehall-school-board-will-not-pursue-hefty-tax-increase
1833949
/locations/8622919
The borough's council decided on a revenue-neutral millage on Wednesday night.
Electing not to take advantage of a legal provision that would allow borough leaders to collect more in local real estate taxes this year than in the previous, the Whitehall Council has set a local real estate tax rate for 2013 of 4.32 mills, or $432 per year for anyone with a property valued at $100,000 (land and building value combined). The council made that decision with a unanimous vote at a borough meeting on Wednesday night. The council also unanimously approved Whitehall Borough's 2013 budget. The 4.32 millage represents a reduction of 1.18 mills from Whitehall's 2012 rate of 5.50. (Click here to calculate your individual taxes based on 2012's millage rate.) The impetus for drastically lowering the borough's millage rate this year …
40.35093
-79.978899
Borough of Whitehall Municipal Complex (Administrative Offices and Outdoor Recreation)
100 Borough Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/whitehall-council-sets-2013-property-tax-rate
1833209
/locations/8625496
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
And other notes from Tuesday night's Baldwin Council meetings.
Major Crime Down Baldwin Borough police Chief Michael Scott said at Tuesday night's regular Baldwin Council meeting that major crime in Baldwin has gone down in recent years. The amount of Uniform Crime Reporting Part 1 crimes in the borough, which include criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, criminal mischief over $500, motor vehicle theft and arson, was down 4 percent in the borough from 2011 to 2012, Chief Scott said, despite multiple burglaries toward the end of 2012. And from 2010 to 2011, that amount was down 18.6 percent, he said. New Parking Restriction in Cross Street-Gardenville Road Area The Baldwin Council unanimously approved an ordinance on Tuesday that prohibits parking on …
40.383751
-79.956454
Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex
3344 Churchview Ave, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/major-crime-down-in-baldwin-boro
1253439
/locations/8614427
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
And the council has advertised its 2013 budget again.
Baldwin Borough's council members agreed on Tuesday night to a timeline and process that will eventually set the borough's real estate tax rate for 2013 at 5.41 mills, or $541 per year for anyone with a property valued at $100,000 (land and building value combined). That represents a reduction of 1.2 mills from Baldwin's 2012 rate of 6.61, but due to a recent countywide real estate reassessment that raised the value of most Baldwin properties, many property owners in the borough will still see an increase in the amount of tax dollars that they'll be responsible for this year. (Click here to calculate your individual taxes based on 2012's millage rate.) Because of the increase in average property value—though some assessments are still …
40.383751
-79.956454
Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex
3344 Churchview Ave, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/baldwin-council-expected-to-set-borough-millage-at-5-41
1253439
/locations/8557606
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
'Obviously, we should have caught it,' county spokeswoman Amie Downs told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Allegheny County officials have admitted that a property containing a townhouse in Whitehall Borough was misclassified for decades as a vacant lot, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Friday. The error in properly assessing the townhouse at 102 Wallace Park Dr. in Whitehall's Wallace (Prospect) Park area has led to possibly thousands of dollars in lost real estate tax revenue for the borough, county and Baldwin-Whitehall School District. "Obviously, we should have caught it," county spokeswoman Amie Downs said. "No excuses." The mistake spans two countywide reassessment processes. Read the Post-Gazette's full article here. Click here for more Whitehall Borough news. --- Follow the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch on Facebook and Twitter. Sign …
40.364404
-79.962537
102 Wallace Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/county-officials-admit-mistake-over-assessing-a-whitehall-property
/locations/8420443
Brian Rampolla
9:45 pm on Sunday, April 28, 2013
I agree that people must educate themselves, but that can only really start when the board candidates first educate the voters about their specific assessment of the issues facing this district and what they propose to do. One forum for this information is the League Of Women Voters who are soliciting campaign information at http://www.smartvoter.org/2013/05/21/pa/al/race/525/. I personally will … more ›