USC holds line on township property taxes
Township taxes for Upper St. Clair residents will remain unchanged next as commissioners voted to adopt the municipality’s 2017 budget.
The municipality’s real estate tax rate remains at 3.83 mills, and the earned income tax rate stays at 0.80 percent for next year. The budget, adopted at the board’s Dec. 5 meeting, keeps the local services tax at $52 per year, and sets the sanitary sewer multiplier at 2.15.
Upper St. Clair’s total general fund revenue for 2017 is projected at $20.891 million. The 2017 projected general fund operating expenditures are $15.351 million. An additional $4.234 million will go to capital projects, along with the Boyce-Mayrview Park RAD and Boyce-Mayview C&RC funds.
Board president Mark Christie commended the township staff for its work on the budget, a process began started in May. The full 2017 budget is available to the public at the township administrative office, the library, and on the website at www.twpusc.org/finance/annual-budgets.
During a public hearing at the Dec. 5 meeting, the board heard a presentation regarding the rezoning of 1353, 1355, 1357, and 1361 McLaughlin Run Road from RM Restricted Light Industrial District and RL-1 Low Intensity Residential District to RM Restricted Light Industrial District. The change is being requested to expand and improve the current precast business on McLaughlin Run Rd. A conservation easement is planned for the steep slope portion at the rear of the property, from the toe of the hill to Cook School Rd.
During a second public hearing, Nicholas Aspiotes made a presentation asking for conditional use approval for warehousing at 1371 McLaughlin Run Rd, the site of an auto repair garage. The applicant proposed painting the building and installing a new roof and new garage doors. The warehouse would be used for storing equipment for an industrial painting contractor.
Both public hearings are scheduled to continue on Jan. 3.
In other business, the board recognized USC High School senior Curt Leonard for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. Curt’s Eagle project was logging GPS coordinated for the fire hydrants in the township.