Unpaid Taxes: Buckman, Ledger, Dreisbach, DeWilde

From the BCCT.

A big two thumbs down to Jack Buckman who voted in March to deny tax relief on penalties and interest to a Morrisville citizen who wanted to pay ONE DAY LATE. This is what being a member of Hellmann and Co means: Just do as I tell you and ignore what I do.

VOTE WOROB, BUCKMAN, STOUT, DEWILDE to STAY ON THIS TRACK. We need more accountability like this in our elected officials.

Try this on for size: Perhaps the struggling Buckman district should be taken over by one of its better off rental-property and hot-tub possessing friends? Wouldn't that be the neighborly thing to do?

Yeah. I don't see a line forming just yet.

This is why renters rent. They do not have the money to sustain the expenses for a house. Maybe they made bad financial decisions. Maybe they were silent victims of Wall Street exuberance. Or maybe they just flat out have bad financial skills.

When someone buys or leases a big fancy Escalade and cannot not pay for it, how long before Robbie Repo-Man makes a visit?

Big thumbs down to DeWilde, Dreisbach, and Ledger as well.

Review: Candidates late on taxes
By: DANNY ADLER
Bucks County Courier Times

Two Democratic Morrisville councilwomen running in this year's election each have more than $2,000 in unpaid 2008 borough, school and county taxes, not to mention money owed for other late bills, a newspaper review of public records indicates.

An incumbent Republican Morrisville school board member, who formerly held a seat on borough council, owes more than $3,600 combined for sanitation, water and sewer.

In all, the three candidates owe more than $9,600, according to county and municipal records dated Tuesday and Wednesday.

The candidates cited financial, health and family hardships for the backlogged bills after word of their debt circulated through town and on Web blogs within the last week. Democrat council President Nancy Sherlock started the talk May 8 after requesting public records on delinquent bills.

"I got copies of the entire borough because I think that anybody who has outstanding balances should be addressed," Sherlock said.

According to the Bucks County Tax Claim Bureau, Councilwoman Rita Ledger, a Democrat running for mayor, owes $2,368 for her 2008 taxes. Ledger also was late in paying her 2004 and 2007 taxes, county records show. She is also late on $158 in water and sewer payments, the water authority's customer arrears list states. She says she'll pay the water and sewer bill today.

Democratic Councilwoman Eileen Dreisbach, who's up for re-election, owes $2,676 in taxes and $785 in sanitation fees as of Wednesday, according to the county and borough records. She also was delinquent in paying her 2004, 2006 and 2007 taxes. Dreisbach was at borough hall Thursday afternoon putting $400 towards the garbage bill.

Both councilwomen earn an annual $2,500 for their roles on borough council.

School board member Jack Buckman, a Republican and former borough councilman, owes $2,546 in water and sewer bills and $1,108 for sanitation, the records show.

Republican school board candidate John DeWilde also owes money for water and sewer. But his late balance is just $8.56.

Buckman said he's in debt because of financial problems stemming from stints of unemployment or underemployment.

A microfilm technician with the county, Buckman said he also works part time as mall security to help pay his bills. He said he has agreements with the borough and the Morrisville Municipal Authority to pay his overdue bills.

"I've done a real good job as a councilman and I've done a real good job as a school board member," Buckman said. "I'm paying these bills."

Ledger, who said she fell behind because of financial and health problems, said her political opponents are using the delinquent bills as an attack because they can't attack her record on council.

"Just because I'm a councilwoman doesn't immune me from the economic hardship that everyone else is feeling as well," said Ledger. "I certainly feel that this doesn't define who I am. I'm like everybody else, I'm experiencing the economic times, unfortunately."

Dreisbach says she fell behind on the bills while paying her mortgage and that of her late mother's home, where her 94-year-old uncle still lives.

"We are currently trying to find him a home because we are no longer able to pay the mortgage on her house and my own," she said. "I do owe last year's taxes as I was trying to keep up with both mortgages. I will be paying my taxes this year as I normally do as soon as I can.

"It is a shame when some people need to sling mud when election time rolls around. I myself don't understand that. You should be able to be elected on your own merits and accomplishments," Dreisbach said.

Democratic mayoral candidate Patricia Schell said the candidates' delinquent bills affect "every single taxpayer. If they're a political candidate or they're not, they have an obligation to pay their bills."

Mayoral candidate Graeme Thomson, a Democrat, said the political system doesn't demand that candidates pay all of their late bills before being elected, but it wouldn't be a bad idea.

"I would hope that they would pay their outstanding bills," Thomson said.

The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching DeWilde for comment Thursday.

The Morning After

It seems pretty fitting that the front page of the BCCT this morning portrays Morrisville so similarly in two completely unrelated stories. Morrisville this morning awakens to find that it is nothing more than a dump. It's a place where dead bodies are dumped for convenience, and it's a place where progress goes to die.

R.I.P. Gateway. I doubt that most other developers would have stayed around long enough to endure the abuse that PJP has taken for the past two years. That building should be ready to rent by now. Instead the community that should have celebrated the new business remains sitting there in the quiet dead splendor of a long interred and long forgotten cemetery. A place where nothing ever happens. And nothing ever will. There's Morrisville's ignominious future. Graveyard to the region.

Remember the names of the council members who want Morrisville to remain dead: David Rivella, Rita Ledger, Kathryn Panzitta, Jane Burger, Steven Worob, Eileen Dreisbach.

All six of you: What's next? Like your brethren on the school board, what are you doing now to improve Morrisville?

Gateway Vote Tonight. Call your council member.

Below is an email I received from Dan Jones, the developer of the Gateway project. While it was not asked of me to forward this, I believe it is important for everyone to understand the level of commitment Mr. Jones has for the project and for Morrisville.

Call your council member and let them know you want the Gateway project to continue.

Ladies and gentlemen –

Monday evening, May 19, 2008, 7:30 PM will be a pivotal and historic moment for the Borough of Morrisville. Don’t miss it.

After two years, the Borough Council will vote “yes or no” on the Gateway Center. I truly believe that a “yes” vote will mean a historic turning point for the Borough. But it will only happen if those who support the project are at the meeting.

Attend Monday night’s meeting. If you feel comfortable speaking at the public comment, do so and make a difference. If you do not feel comfortable speaking, cheer on those that do, and make a difference.

For the first time in two years the goal line is in sight. Be a part of this historic moment. In five years when you look at a wonderfully transformed Bridge Street, be able to smile and say,” I was there and I made a difference.”

Thanks to all for their continued support of the Morrisville Gateway Center.


Dan Jones
Penn Jersey Real Properties, LLC
56 E. Bridge Street, Suite One
Morrisville, PA 19067

(267) 799-4481 (O)
(267) 799-4482 (F)

danieljones@pennjerseyproperties.com

And another letter I received

Tonight at Boro Hall, council will be voting to show their interest (or lack of) in continuing to move forward with the Gateway project. Please come out and support this project and consider speaking at the mic. As many of us are busy with our daily lives, if you can't make the meeting, please call your ward officials and the ones outside of your ward too.

This will be the night when the naysayers will be strong. Don't let them outvoice us and allow them to force us to be silent once more. If you have never spoken before, now is especially your time to speak up. The more different faces and voices we have only show the support is larger than the usual suspects (on both sides of the fence).

Meeting starts at 7:30. Interviews for the Economic Development Council begin at 7:00.

Phone numbers to call:

MAYOR
Tom Wisnosky: 215-295-0439

COUNCIL MEMBERS 2008

President:
Ward 2: Nancy Sherlock 215-736-1264

Vice President:
Ward 2: Kathryn Panzitta 215-295-1264

Ward 3: George Bolos: 215-428-0667
Ward 3: Jane Burger: 215-736-1321
Ward 1: Eileen Dreisbach: 215-295-1914
Ward 1: Rita Ledger: 215-295-4344
Ward 4: David Rivella: 215-295-5030
Ward 4: Stephen Worob: 215-736-2987

Gateway Discussion at Agenda Meeting Tonight?

I received this email from a trusted source and would like to ask everyone who supports the Gateway projects to contact their borough council members. Let them know you support Gateway and that you expect their affirmative vote in council.

Go to the borough website from the link on the sidebar to the left and find your council members. Let them know you support Morrisville.

MAYOR
Tom Wisnosky: 215-295-0439

COUNCIL MEMBERS 2008

President:
Nancy Sherlock 215-736-1264

Vice President:
Kathryn Panzitta 215-295-1264

George Bolos: 215-428-0667
Jane Burger: 215-736-1321
Eileen Dreisbach: 215-295-1914
Rita Ledger: 215-295-4344
David Rivella: 215-295-5030
Stephen Worob: 215-736-2987

Heard that Gateway will be discussed this evening during the agenda meeting tonight at Boro Hall. Meeting begins at 7:30.

Also heard that a conversation was held with Jane Burger and that Ms. Burger mentioned that she CAN'T think of any reasons to support this project!!!

To put it simply, this could be the end of the Gateway project.

Please make an effort to attend and voice your opinion and call your ward representatives.

Gateway

While this does not directly apply to the current issues with our schools, it certainly does apply to the level of taxation in the borough.

Right now, the same people who stopped the school, supposedly to lower the taxes, are also opposing the Gateway project, which would generate tax revenue, lowering the tax burden on all of us. The logic seems sound. Up is Down, Good is Bad, Black is White. Paging George Orwell: It's 1984 in Morrisville and doubleplusgoodthink is alive and well.

Here is an email that I received covering some of the background on the project. I also have a Power Point presentation with more information on the project. As soon as I can get it posted somewhere I will, but if you want to see it ASAP, drop me a line and I'll email it to you.

(You asked for information on the Gateway Center. Please share the enclosure and this e-mail with those you think may find it of interest.)

The enclosed is the materials that I presented to the Borough Council on October 2, 2007 – now almost four months ago. This provides some very interesting information which I would be pleased to discuss with you and others interested in the project.

To give you the brief update from October – nothing has happened! A slightly longer answer follows …

The basic issue holding up the project for the last year and a half has been acquiring the land from – 1) the Bridge Commission, and 2) the Borough Council.

If I understand the Borough Council’s comments on Tuesday, they implied that the Council cannot do anything until we submit a preliminary development plan. If this is what they said, it is misleading.

As I explained to the Council on October 2, October 9th, and October 15th there are two aspects of the proposal that impacts the Borough Council – 1) approval of a preliminary development plan, and 2) agreement to sell land for the parking lot.

Preliminary Development Plan

The first item – the preliminary development plan – is a routine but costly part of the development process. Once prepared the preliminary development plan is submitted to the Borough Planning Committee and Zoning Committee which upon approval would ultimately require the Borough Council’s approval.

The Bridge Commission asked PJRP to submit a preliminary development plan before they would agree to sell the Morrisville EDC (who would sell the land to PJRP) the Bridge Commission portion of the project land. The Borough also wanted us to submit a preliminary development plan before they agreed to sell us their land for the project. PJRP objected to submitting a preliminary plan before having a purchase agreement with either the Borough or the Bridge Commission for two reasons –

1) It is a very expensive process to go through – over $50,000 – without having a commitment from either land owner that they are willing to sell their land; and

2) It is illegal, which the Borough Solicitor agreed with at the October 15th Borough Council meeting, and which has since been communicated from the Borough to the Bridge Commission. PJRP cannot submit a preliminary development plan until PJRP has an “economic interest” in the property to be developed. The preliminary development plan must come after a purchase agreement.

So, the bottom line with the preliminary development plan is that we cannot present a plan until we have a purchase agreement with either the Bridge Commission or the Borough. (The purchase agreement, by the way, would be contingent on the approval of the preliminary development plan. If the plan is not approved – neither the Bridge Commission nor the Borough is obligated to sell their land and we are not obligated to buy their land if the plan is not approved.)

Agreement to sell (buy) Borough land

This brings us to the “Catch-22” that the Borough has us. One, however, they have the ability to fix. As noted above, the preliminary plan must come after PJRP has an “economic interest” in the land. One way that PJRP gets an economic interest in the land is that the Borough enters into a purchase agreement with PJRP to buy the Borough’s land.

The Answer to the Borough Councils comment

So … If the Council or anyone else says “we can’t do anything until the developer submits a preliminary plan.”

A good response would be, “Doesn’t the developer have to have an economic interest in the land before they can submit a preliminary plan?”

The appropriate response from the Borough Council would be, “uh huh.”

A good response to that would be, “then if the Borough Council enters into an agreement of sale with the developer wouldn’t the developer be able to submit a preliminary development plan?”

The appropriate response from the Borough Council would be, “uh huh.”

A good response to that would be, “then why doesn’t the Borough Council enter into an agreement of sale with developer for the Borough land so that the developer can submit a preliminary plan?

I haven’t been able to get an answer to that question for four months now …

Dan

Dan Jones
Penn Jersey Real Properties, LLC
56 E. Bridge Street, Suite One
Morrisville, PA 19067
(267) 799-4481 (Office)
(215) 378-6279 (Cell)
danieljones@pennjerseyproperties.com

Huh? We've got a chance for 400-600 jobs coming INTO the borough and an estimated $300,000 in tax revenue, and we're not showing interest in moving forward? Both the borough and school district budgets are in the toilet and here's a hometown group who want to improve Morrisville and bring money in? Why is anyone stalling on the decisions for this project?

You need to contact YOUR ward's council members and tell them to move forward with Gateway. It's that simple. Go to the borough website from the link on the sidebar to the left and find your council members. Let them know you support Morrisville.

MAYOR
Tom Wisnosky: 215-295-0439

COUNCIL MEMBERS 2008

President:
Nancy Sherlock 215-736-1264

Vice President:
Kathryn Panzitta 215-295-1264

George Bolos: 215-428-0667
Jane Burger: 215-736-1321
Eileen Dreisbach: 215-295-1914
Rita Ledger: 215-295-4344
David Rivella: 215-295-5030
Stephen Worob: 215-736-2987