Backyard News, 12.23.11

Firefighter honored ... Linglestown Fire Chief Bill Payne was recently awarded a Craig Webb Memorial Award for exemplary service. Congratulations and thanks for your service!


Tax hike approved ... The Lower Paxton supervisors this week adopted a 2012 budget that includes a property-tax hike to make up for significant losses in earned income tax revenue and land development fees. The new rate will increase the tax bill on a property assessed at $200,000 by $68. CLICK HERE for more details from The Patriot-News.

The last tax hike was in 2007, and that one was the first one since way back in 1990, according to the Gazette archives. The 1990s and most of this decade were boom times in Lower Paxton in regard to new development.

Village panel gets new life ... Lower Paxton supervisors agreed to continue working with the Village of Linglestown Committee as a township advisory panel. The group helped the township over the last decade or so with planning for the now completed village improvement project. CLICK HERE for a report on the committee's December meeting that was filed by community watchdog group SWAN.