Chadds Ford Township will be advertising a preliminary budget that maintains the current level of taxation for 2015. Supervisors will vote on the spending plan during their December meeting.
The budget is balanced with revenue and expenses anticipated at a little less than $1.5 million. That’s up from the $1.2 million for 2014, but the township millage rates of 0.787 for most property owners and 0.882 for those in a fire hydrant district will remain the same.
A mill is a tax of $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.
Total property taxes, including open space taxes, total $446,000 in revenue and makeup the bulk of that side of the ledger.
The steepest number on the expense side is $346,000 for road and highway services.
Supervisors’ Chairman Keith Klaver said the board is budgeting more money for road salt for 2015 and also for road maintenance. He anticipates much needed repairs for Oakland and Heyburn roads as part of the 2015 road program.
The township is also increasing contributions to Rachel Kohl Library and to the Concordville Fire Co.
Other business
• Heyburn Road also came up in conversation during the public comment period of the Nov. 5 supervisors’ meeting. Former roadmaster Bruce Prabel wants the township to get the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to remove the No U-turn sign at Heyburn and Route 1.
The sign just went up a few months ago, but he said it was his understanding from when he was roadmaster that southbound motorists on Route 1 were always to be able to make a U-turn at Heyburn to go north toward Route 202.
Residents of Southpoint and people doing business in The Commons may only turn right, southbound, when leaving those locations and now have to drive almost down to Creek Road before making a legal U-turn.
Township solicitor Hugh Donaghue cautioned that while Route 1 is a state road, it’s conceivable that, if Chadds Ford had the restriction lifted, the township could be held liable if there were to be a tragic accident involving U-turns at that location.
Township engineer Joe Mastronardo said he would talk with PennDOT personnel to petition them to get the sign removed and to get the speed limit reduced from 55 mph to 45 mph.
• In addition to voting on the budget next month, supervisors also plan to enact an ordinance that would lower the speed limit on Brandywine Drive to 25 mph and restrict truck traffic on the road to local traffic only.
Klaver said the board would look to do the same when Applied Card Drive, the segment of the loop road to be built as part of the Wegmans’ development, where it crosses into Chadds Ford. They will also do the same when the final segment — along Hillman Drive — is eventually built.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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