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LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER

Township budget approved with no tax hike

At the Dec. 11 meeting, the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners passed ordinances 38-2023 and 40-2023, approving the 2024 budget and setting the real estate tax rate at 3.8 mills, unchanged from 2023.

The board also passed an ordinance to initiate a referendum asking voters if they support a 0.05-mill increase in real estate taxes to be used for open space and farmland preservation.

According to Deputy Mayor Jack Meyers, if a property is assessed at $200,000, the increased rate will cost the homeowner an extra $10.

In other business, the commissioners approved a major subdivision plan at 3561 Columbia St. The plan proposes to add 1.927 acres to the existing 2.65-acre lot, totaling approximately 5 acres for a Tractor Supply store with a garden center.

Finally, the board approved the purchase of two 2023 or 2024 BMW RT-P 1250 motorcycles for the police patrol division, totaling $57,000.

The BMWs will allow the department to pursue unregistered motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs. Police Chief Michael Marks said the BMWs are more reliable than American-made bikes and are expected to last 15 years.

The end of the meeting was filled with sentiments for the outgoing members.

Commissioners Charles Fisher and Philip Ginder depart with four and 24 years on the board, respectively. Mayor Michael Harakal Jr. previously served as township executive from 1984 to 1991 and has been serving as mayor since 2018.

The board of commissioners will hold a reorganization meeting 8 p.m. Jan. 2, 2024, in the municipal building, 3219 MacArthur Road.