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Thursday, September 20, 2012

MontCo to Issue IDs to Voters through Nursing Facility

Apparent loophole in state's voter ID law will allow any registered voter to obtain photo identification from the Parkhouse Senior Care Center in Upper Providence. Other locations may also offer the service.

With the 2012 elections less than seven weeks away, registered Montgomery County voters who still lack acceptable voter identification got an assist from the county's Board of Commissioners on Thursday. Exploiting an apparent loophole in the controversial Voter ID law that was passed by the state legislature last spring, the commissioners passed a resolution that will allow the county to begin issuing valid voter identification cards to registered voters under the auspices of the Parkhouse nursing care facility in Upper Providence Township. The resolution takes advantage of a section of the law that lists which entities are allowed to issue acceptable forms of voter identification. Section 1 (z.5)(2) lists the federal or state governments…

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regnig

12:59 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012

Yes, the DMV hours are being expanded. With the exception of the people in nursing homes, you've just proved my point. DMV offices are open on Saturdays and nights. The single mom whose car broke down - does she have no family or friends? I'm am NOT part of your liberal "1%" - but I'm sick to death of everyone looking for a handout. I work hard for what I have, and I don't see anyone offering me …   more ›

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Montco Commissioners Tackle One Montgomery Plaza Repairs

The commissioners meet today with a full agenda of contracts to award, agreements to authorize and other county business.

The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meet again today, Thursday, May 3, at 10 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Board Room on the 8th floor of One Montgomery Plaza. There's a lot of interesting business on the agenda today including an authorization of the Department of Corrections to enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to house Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Lower Providence. They're also approving a list of outside legal counsel the county can use apparently as a way to avoid a repeat of the over $2 million in legal fees the last administration racked up that were never voted on.   They'll also awarding almost $200,000 in contracts towards…

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Montco Commissioners to Make Changes to Health Code, Shop at Wawa

The county board of commissioners meets today at 10 a.m. at One Montgomery Plaza.

The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meets again today, Thursday, April 5, at 10 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Board Room on the 8th floor of One Montgomery Plaza. Among the items of business on the agenda today is a resolution authorizing changes to the Public Health Code and the establishment of Distracted Driving Week in Montgomery County. According to the agenda, the commissioners will also be awarding 12 contracts worth over $600,000 for a variety of products like milk and juice from Wawa and mosquito control products to servies like the consultant for the Montgomery County Radio Committee. Download the full agenda for today's meeting in our PDF section. You can also see a live streaming video of the meeting here.  

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Montco Commissioners Talk Bids, Contracts and Election Logistics Today

The county board of commissioners meets today at 10 a.m. at One Montgomery Plaza.

The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meets again today, Thursday, March 15, at 10 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Board Room on the 8th floor of One Montgomery Plaza. Among the items of business on the agenda today is approval of several bids and requests for proposal for things like mosquito control products, street line painting, securities monitoring, legal and other services. According to the agenda, the commissioners will also be awarding 17 contracts worth over $2 million total for a variety of services from engineering for garage and plaza renovations at the Montgomery County Courthouse to the new public safety radio network consultant. The commissioners will also be appointing drivers for election day supplies and election …

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Montco Commissioners Announce New Senior Staff

Robert D. Fox, chairman of the transition committee, said job descriptions were developed for all of the senior positions.

According to a release on Montgomery County commissioners-elect Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards' website today, the pair have announced a new organizational structure in the commissioners’ office and the senior staff that will fill the positions.  The new structure and staff was endorsed by Commissioner Bruce L. Castor, Jr. and is the product of intense work by Shapiro, Richards and their transition team, led by Robert D. Fox. The organizational structure will be led by a Chief Clerk/Chief Operating Officer, who will be assisted by a Deputy COO for Policy and Planning and a Deputy COO for Operations. The rest of the senior staff includes a county solicitor, chief financial officer and a director of communications. "We wanted a structure …

john

7:17 am on Thursday, December 29, 2011

All this at what cost since the tax increase for 2012 ?   more ›

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

County Taxes Going Up 17 Percent

Montgomery County Board of Commissioners approve final, $417.4 million budget for 2012.

The Montgomery County Commissioners approved a 2012 operating budget Wednesday that will increase the county's average property tax bill by about $80 per year. The $417.4 million budget preserves 2011 funding levels for Montgomery County Community College, the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, and the Elmwood Park Zoo. Each of those institutions had been threatened with severe reductions in county funding in a preliminary budget posted last month. "There's a certain threshold we must maintain in order to provide the services our citizens expect," Commissioner Bruce Castor said. "I'm loathe to vote for a tax increase, but I simply don't see how we can continue to provide the services the county is expected to provide without one…

al

10:48 am on Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Bob Your assessment that Asher does not control PA GOP is correct the Bucks GOP controls PA Politics www.bucksgop.org They have Corbett-Cawley as PA Gov/Lt Gov, they had Rendell in their pockets, Gov Mark Schweiker and Tom Ridge Also. Yes Herb Barmess died in 2000. However he split the power giving the control PA GOP to Asher and Fawkes at the local Bucks County Level. Asher is a GOP power broker…   more ›

Thursday, December 15, 2011

County Plans to Borrow $25 Million

The Montgomery County Commissioners intend to take out a short-term loan to fund the first quarter of 2012.

For the first time in a decade, the Montgomery County Commissioners plan to take out a tax anticipation note to fund expenses through the first quarter of 2012, officials said during Thursday’s meeting. Although the amount is yet to be finalized, county CFO Randy Schaible told the board he estimated that $25 million would be needed. “Every year we have a major dip in cash,” Schaible said. “We had $40 million at the beginning of this year and we just squeaked through.” Commissioner Chairman Joseph Hoeffel said the county is projected to have $20 million in its coffers come January. Since tax revenues don’t start trickling in until March, the short-term loan – which would be repaid by the end of 2012 – is necessary, he said. Schaible, …

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Herald Reports Four Montco Officials Let Go in Wake of Grand Jury Report

According to The Times Herald, the four county employees will work through the end of the year.

According to The Times Herald, four county employees have been "fired" in the wake of Commissioner James R. Matthews' arrest and a grand jury report criticizing the way the county conducts business. The Herald is reporting that Human Resources Director Eleanor Schneider, Purchasing Department head F. Thomas Snyder, Chief Financial Officer Randall Schaible and Fred J. Shaughnessy in the Public Property department were terminated today. County officials declined to comment, but one source told Patch that discussions had taken place, but said that "'fired' was a bit strong." The source noted that a new administration was coming in next year and personnel changes were to be expected. John Corcoran, Communications Director for the county, was …

Upper Dublin Commissioners Approve 5.91 Percent Tax Increase

The board also voted to rebid the Old Fort Washington Elementary School at Tuesday's meeting.

The Upper Dublin Township board of commissioners voted Tuesday to approve a 5.91 percent property tax increase for next year. The vote follows three deliberative meetings held in the past month, as previously reported by Patch. Commissioner Chet Derr, of ward 3, voted against the motion. The increase of 5.91 percent represents an increase of 4.939 mills in 2011 to 5.231 mills in 2012. A mill corresponds to one tax dollar for every $1,000 dollars in real estate value. Given that number, a home assessed at $195,000 would see an annual increase of $56.94, a home assessed at $250,000 would see an increase of $73, and a $350,000 home a $102.2 increase. Township taxes account for approximately 17 percent of property taxes, with the bulk coming …

Eileen

12:12 pm on Monday, September 3, 2012

Taxes in this township are out of control.   more ›

Monday, December 12, 2011

County Scrambles to Retool Budget by Deadline

Hoeffel said commissioners will meet on weeknights and weekends if necessary.

The clock is ticking for Montgomery County to finalize its 2012 operating budget and the county government will be holding a series of public meetings over the next two weeks to achieve that goal, County Commissioner Joseph Hoeffel said this morning. Hoeffel indicated that a county tax increase was likely to figure prominently in the discussions after commissioners received more than 4,000 public comments objecting to massive program cuts in the preliminary budget announced Nov. 30. "We had 300 people in a public meeting who stood up and asked us to raise their taxes," Hoeffel said, referring to last week's public hearing on the budget. Matthews Expected to Participate Public meetings will be held in the 8th floor boardroom at One …

brian shannon

1:28 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The mess that the legacy "administrations" have left requires swift action to REDUCE spending not raise taxes. The "MEETING" was packed with county employees and special interests. Bite the bullet like all other TAXPAYERS and just fix the problem. PS the Elmwood ZOO is no asset to the county trust me!   more ›

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