Skippack 'Snafu' Leads to Late December Budget Meeting

The Skippack Board of Supervisors announced on Wednesday that due to an advertising error, the board will again meet on the morning of December 29th to pass the 2012 budget.

"Isn't it a little unusual to have a budget meeting at nine in the morning on December 29th?" asked Mary Gehman, one of the many Skippack residents who attended the meeting

"Yes, it's highly unusual," said Mark Marino, chairman of the board.  "There was a snafu with advertising.  A mistake was made as far as dates and times so we have to get it done before the end of the year and that's what we have to do."

Marino cautioned that there was no sinister motive at play, and the meeting itself would only last a few minutes.

"It's not like we're trying to sneak in a meeting," said Marino.  "It's going to take about two minutes.  We're going to walk in here, and then walk right out."

Gehman asked Marino if the meeting could be held during the evening of the 29th, but Marino said it would be inconvenient to hold a night time meeting for such a short period of time.

"It could be at night, but we're not going to drag everyone here at night for a two minute meeting to say we're passing the budget," said Marino

Website woes

Several Skippack residents voiced their displeasure with the township's website during Wednesday night's meeting, calling it a "nothing site" and describing it as "terrible".

"It doesn't give you the information for month, and it doesn't tell you when the office is closed," said one resident.  "There used to be a monthly calendar." 

"It used to have information," added Gehman.

Councilwoman Mary Beth Labelle, who had previously designed her own website, offered to help clear up the township's website, stating it would be easier to navigate by January of 2012.

"By next month it will all be cleaned up," said Labelle.

Act 32 compliance

Skippack Township's tax code was amended at the beginning of Wednesday night's meeting in order to comply with Pennsylvania Act 32, which was passed in 2008 as a means to reform and standardize local earned-income tax systems.

The compliance was purely  procedural, and no changes to the tax rate were made.