Statement from Yeadon Borough Council President Sharon Council Harris Against Raising Taxes on Yeadon Residents
Statement from Yeadon Borough Council President Sharon Council Harris Against Raising Taxes on Yeadon Residents
December 20, 2022
I am voting “NO” tonight on any motion to raise taxes on Yeadon Borough residents.
The average combined real estate property taxes in the Borough is over $8,500 per year including local borough, school, county and sewer costs. There is no reason why we should place an added financial burden on our residents.
Unfortunately, the opposition members of Borough Council — LaToya Monroe, Liana Roadcloud and Nicole Beaty — do not see it this way. They are pushing hard to raise taxes on all Yeadon Borough property owners and blame Council leadership for the tax increase!
They continue spreading the lie that the Borough is not fiscally sound and teetering on bankruptcy.
As the saying goes: “Figures don’t lie, but liars figure.”
Here are the facts:
- Yeadon now has a balanced budget of over $8 million. We have a $1.5 million-dollar surplus over the 2021 budget.
- Last week our finance director, Nafis Nichols, presented a balanced budget for 2023 including a $1.1 million Federal Pandemic Relief payment issued to Yeadon Borough. This was calculated to cover increased expenses in 2022 with no need to raise your real estate taxes for 2023.
- Opposing council members are still beating the drum to raise your taxes anyway — so they can deliver on their lie that the sky is falling, which they have been circulating on social media.
- Let’s not forget that these are the same opposition council members who didn’t bat an eye when the Borough paid $387,000 of your tax dollars to settle with the Fraternal Order of Police after our former police chief, Anthony “Chachi” Paparo, broke the rules.
- Mr. Paparo failed to follow rules, you paid the penalty as our taxpayers and the council members who want to raise your taxes tonight found it all perfectly fine.
- Yeadon’s entire FOP settlement amount of nearly $400,000 came out of the Borough’s general fund, which pays the Borough’s bills and operates the town. We paid half of the settlement last year and half this year. Why are opposing council members silent about this $387,000 settlement with the FOP but vocal about raising your taxes?