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ORDINANCE 
#3 OF 2018
RESL ESTATE
​​​​​​​TAX ORDINANCE

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOROUGH OF BOLIVAR, COUNTY OF WESTMORELAND AND COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, SETTING THE REAL ESTATE TAX RATE FOR THE YEAR 2018 AND THEREAFTER.

WHEREAS, the Borough of Bolivar is authorized pursuant to the Borough Code (8 Pa.C.S. § 1302) and the Local Tax Enabling Act, (53 P.S. § 6924.101 et. seq.) to levy a tax for general revenue purposes upon the assessed value of real estate within the Borough; and

WHEREAS, the Borough of Bolivar has prepared and adopted a tentative budget for 2019; and

WHEREAS, in order to establish sufficient revenues to meet anticipated Borough expenses it is necessary to set tax rates;

NOW THEREFORE, the following is ordained and enacted:

1. The Borough of Bolivar hereby establishes a tax upon the assessed value of real estate of 14 mils for general revenue purposes for the calendar year 2019.

2. This rate shall become effective on January 1, 2019 and shall continue thereafter for each subsequent calendar year unless revised by subsequent enactment.

3. All prior ordinances in conflict herewith and hereby repealed.

4. The effective date of this Ordinance shall be January 1, 2019.


ORDAINED and ENACTED, this ___6__day of December, 2018.

Clark Baird,
Presiding President
Bolivar Borough Council

ATTEST:
PATRICIA BETTS,
Secretary

APPROVED ___________ this ____________ day of December 2018
_____________________________
C. THOMAS PICKUP, MAYOR

 NOTE:   THE MAYOR, C. THOMAS PICKUP VETOED THIS ORDINANCE ON DECEMBER 16, 2018.  THE MAYOR ALSO RESPONDED BACK TO COUNCIL WITH HIS COMMENTS ON THE ORDINANCE. 
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SEE HIS COMMENTS.

Council:
After careful consideration and the failure to give me the financial documents I wanted, I have no other choice to Veto Ordinance number 3 of 2018. I am very concerned about the direction Council and their Solicitor are taking this magnificent town. I grew up in this town and moved back to watch it decay into a drug infested lawless town. I never used to have to worry about items being stolen from my home and property and now I sleep with a loaded gun under my pillow. You want to have hard working good people move into this town but,
you do not want to provide the services that will allow that to happen. Watching Council operate over the years that I have been involved leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. You have a Solicitor that instead of only advising us on legal issues tries to force me as Mayor to not take the allotted time allowed by Borough Code to review this ordinance before my Veto. I am wondering how the Bar Association would handle that. We have Council members walking around town spreading rumors and manipulating our citizens into believing untruths about me and other members of council. We have another that sits in bars and motivates others into making threats towards myself and other council members. This is a small town, and everything said gets back to me. Yes you can deny it ever happened, but the truth always come out in the end.
I feel Council should consider at least one community service along with this tax increase. We can't take money from the tax payers and not give them anything in return. You should also consider giving the Borough worker a raise. This town has never looked better and I appreciate his hard work. I still would like to see an estimate in writing on repairing the Quonset hut instead of building a garage. I know Council members have said it would cost more but have never brought any good hard estimates on the cost making me think there is a cover up. In the end you will get your tax increase but at least I can say I didn't go down without a fight.
You should have considered keeping the Per Capita tax at ten dollars. If you would have looked at the numbers five more dollars at four hundred tax payers would be two thousand dollars about what you are going to get for 1 mil in property tax increases. This thought process also makes me think there is some cover up in not being able to afford a police officer.
All I am asking is that you start thinking outside the box and commit to a community service for the people's money.
Thank you, C. Tom Pickup
Mayor Bolivar Borough

ALSO NOTE THAT ON DECEMBER 22, 2018 DURING A SPECIAL TOWN MEETING CALLED TO ORDER PER BOROUGH CODE , THIS ORDINANCE VETO WAS OVERRIDDEN BY COUNCIL ACCORDINGLY:
CLARK BAIRD, PRESIDING PRESIDENT (YES), SUE BARTOW, PRESIDING VICE PRESIDENT (YES), RON BETTS STREET COMMISSIONER, (YES).  THEREFORE THIS ORDINANCE WILL TAKE EFFECT ON JANUARY 1, 2019

ATTESTED THIS 22 DAY OF DECEMBER 2018

PATRICIA BETTS
SECRETARY
BOLIVAR BOROUGH