Letter: PASD employee deflects budget questions with attacks
To The Editor,
Last night during the budget meeting a statement was made by Phoenixville Area School District employee Richard Fazio. Mr. Fazio, in a fashion I can only describe as utterly devoid of professional ethics replied to my questions by personally attacking me.
Such an unwarranted attack would never have been permitted while I was on the board. It is yet another clear sign that alleged...
Letter: Avondale can’t afford Borough Hall upgrades
To The Editor,
At a recent Avondale Borough council meeting, I learned that some council members are moving forward with a proposal to renovate and add on to the borough building.
As a taxpaying resident of the borough, I am in disagreement with this decision and wish to make other borough residents aware of the situation and how Avondale Borough’s money is being spent.
State Police fees: an idea whose time has come
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
So…so much for putting a stop to writing about stuff.
Despite an ill-advised detour into politics and some mild, annoying and decidedly non-life threatening health issues, not writing was beginning to feel increasingly like not breathing, so here I am again. For now — and obviously everything on this green Earth is really “for now” — I’m going to return...
GOP Congressman laud tax bill, Democrats decry ‘gift’ for wealthy, donors
The U.S. Senate last night passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — a sweeping revision of U.S. Tax code, that depending on who is talking is either a spark for job and wage growth or a massive, deficit busting giveaway to the rich, political donors and corporate America.
The House voted Tuesday to approve the package, but will have to revote Wednesday because of three provisions in the original bill...
UCF audit shows $2.2M surplus from 2016-17
By JP Phillips, Staff Writer, The Times
Unionville-Chadds Ford School District Director of Business and Operations Bob Cochran discussion finace options with the school board, Monday night.
EAST MARLBOROUGH — Much of Monday night’s Unionville Chadds-Ford School Board work session was spent discussing district finances.
Director of Business and Operations Bob Cochran explained that a preliminary...
Maybe I’m paranoid, but it seems like local Congress members are out to get me
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
By nature, I’m not really a paranoid guy, but it is starting to look like U.S. Senator Pat Toomey, U.S. Reps. Ryan Costello (R-6), Pat Meehan (R-7) and Lloyd Smucker (R-16) have it out personally for me and my family.
Okay maybe not personally — I’ve had cordial, even friendly relationships with some of them, and certainly interesting and insightful interviews...
Is a ‘cross-fire hurricane’ bearing down on the 6th District?
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
“I was born in a cross-fire hurricane
And I howled at the morning driving rain
But it’s all right now, in fact, it’s a gas
But it’s all right. I’m Jumpin’ Jack Flash
It’s a gas, gas, gas”
— The Rolling Stones, Jumpin’ Jack Flash.
It’s pretty clear that politics over the next 18 or so months will be anything but calm,...
Time for Costello to show just a hint of courage
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Sometime later this afternoon, U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello (R-6) will hold a town hall meeting.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is that he’s holding it in Historic Courtroom 1, limiting it to 100 people, it was announced Thursday and filled up within minutes — and no one can record the video. Some sort of modern-day Stasi will be at the door, demanding “papers,...
County to hike property taxes 4.95% for 2017
First increase since 2014
WEST CHESTER — The Chester County Commissioners unanimously approved the 2017 budget this week. The budget calls for $460,094,845 in operating expenses and $87,504,129 for its capital budget.
“Led by our strategic priorities, including public safety and balanced growth, Chester County continues to invest in projects, programs and services that will benefit our residents...
UCF board opts to pull funds from reserve, cut tax hike to 2.66%
Lindner said colleagues are ‘kicking the can down the road’
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
EAST MARLBOROUGH — Apparently, appearances matter.
At the end of the day, it seemed that the optics of having a tax increase higher than 3% in Delaware County outstripped concerns over long-term finances and the state of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District’s balance reserve, as...
