Norristown Approves $10M Capital Improvement Plan; Development Coming

NORRISTOWN, PA -- The Norristown Municipal Council announced in December that they had approved their proposed $10 million Capital Improvement Program, the first in the history of the borough. The four-year plan, covering 2017-2021, had originally been proposed several months ago.

As the borough describes it, the plan "facilitates planned and necessary large scale improvements in municipality infrastructure." These include improvements to Municipal Hall and the development of a police and recreation center.

“Because of its strong financial position, (Norristown) is able to refinance existing debt, lower its interest rates, shorten its debt term and borrow the CIP funds without impacting the annual operating budget,” Municipal Administrator Crandall Jones said in a statement. “Council’s approval of the CIP program, when combined with our previously approved $3.4 million comprehensive local roads improvement program, the County campus project and the other infrastructure development going on in town, means 2017 will be a very dynamic year in Norristown.”

The plan will also lay out economic initiatives that will encourage development and embark on "strategic property acquisition," the plan's fact sheet states.

The borough said that funding will come chiefly from loans and paid debt, and that taxes will not be raised. Projects will be chosen by Municipal Council and citizen input will be considered, officials added. Categories for projects include:

• Parks and Open Space Improvements
• Road Maintenance Plan
• Municipal Hall & Garage Renovations
• Fleet & Equipment Acquitions
• Economic Development Initatives

Patch file photo.