Montgomery County Treasurer Swearing-in Ceremony

Please join me

Jason E. Salus

Treasurer-elect

County of Montgomery

Swearing-in Ceremony

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

10:00 A.M.

Montgomery County Community College

The Physical Education Building

340 DeKalb Pike

Blue Bell, PA  19422

Conshohocken Councilmember Wants ‘New Energy’ For Moncto Treasurer

Nate Adams of the Plymouth-Whitemarsh Patch reports:

“I looked at what was going on in the county and though, with my professional background and my work on the county, I could be beneficial to the county,” he said.

Salus, who works in economic development, cites the borough council’s work in collecting over $1 million in delinquent taxes between 2007 and 2011 as an example of local practices that could have a countywide impact.

“There is a roll the county can play in attracting new retail and working with small businesses to help revitalize our economy,” he said.

Salus also cited increased communication on wise spending, as well as a focus on using banks over check-cashing institutions as a means of promoting economic growth in the county.

Read the entire article here.

Conshohocken dog park proposal ramps up

Jenny DeHuff of the Times Herald:

CONSHOHOCKEN — A group of canine confederates rejoiced after Wednesday night’s borough council meeting, when council adopted a resolution supporting a new dog park in the area.

While a location has yet to be determined, the Friends of a Conshohocken Dog Park are eager to see the wheels in motion.

Council President Paul McConnell said, during a recent council workshop meeting, the Friends submitted a business plan and proposal outlining how the township might work with the dog park group to work out the kinks of the project.

The motion, made by Transportation and Parking Committee Chair Jason Salus, passed unanimously.

Raj Gupta, Friends committee member and candidate for borough council in the first ward, said cost totally depends on the location.

“It was a big win tonight just to get the council to support it,” he told The Times Herald.

“So now we’ll work with the park and recreation subcommittee to find a location based on that. We want to put together a proper dog park. Our message to council has always been that this will be privately funded, with no taxpayer dollars.”

Click here for the entire article and video coverage.

Photos: County Candidates Campaign in Conshohocken

It was great to see many neighbors, friends and Conshy business owners during yesterday’s Conshohocken Fayette Street walk with County Commissioner candidates Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards.  The Plymouth-Whitemarsh Patch published several photos from the afternoon:

Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards, the Democratic candidates for Montgomery County Commissioner, made a stop in Conshohocken on Tuesday as part of the ticket’s “Day of Action” campaign event.

The candidates made stops in six county municipalities, including a tour of the shops on Fayette Street in Conshohocken. Conshohocken borough council member and Montgomery county Treasurer candidate Jason Salus on the walk joined them. The Democrats spent roughly two hours in Conshohocken, visiting with residents and stopping in at local businesses, including El Limon, the Great American Pub and Tony and Joe’s Pizza.

Shapiro is a state representative representing the 153rd district in Montgomery County. Richards is a supervisor for Whitemarsh township.

Check out the photos and full story by visiting this link.

Hurricane Irene preparations

 
This morning the Conshohocken Police Department issued a notification (displayed at left) declaring the Fellowship House and Conshohocken Elementary School as places of shelter during for the anticipated storm.  Additionally, Washington Fire Company will serve as an Emergency Command Center.  The notification also identifies suggested items to include in your emergency preparedness kit.

You may also want to visit the following link sign up for the Montgomery County Public Safety Department’s Community Alert System to receive email and text update notifications as information becomes available.

Finally, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency issued a press release yesterday outlining recommended steps to prepare for the storm.

Grant for Mary Wood Park improvements

Last Friday, July 8th, Rep. Mike Gerber presented a $10,000 state grant to Conshohocken for improvements to Mary Wood Park. From left: Councilman Ike Griffin, former Mayor Joe Collins, Council President Paul McConnell, Rep. Mike Gerber, me, Councilman Bob Stokley and Borough Manager Fran Marabella.

New Conshohocken Tax Audit Program

With the assistance of the Borough’s new tax collector, we have recently implemented a new tax audit program to identify companies who owe Business Privilege Taxes.  The press release below has more details.

TRI-STATE FINANCIAL GROUP

Station Square 1

Suite 202

Paoli, PA 19301

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:           Ken Kilpatrick – 610-323-3500

ken@sylviamarketing.com

TRI-STATE FINANCIAL GROUP OF PAOLI IDENTIFYING COMPANIES NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH CONSHOHOCKEN’S BUSINESS PRIVILEGE TAX

If you own a business that operates in Conshohocken but have not paid a business privilege tax, your company could be in delinquency status.

Headquartered in Paoli, Tri-State Financial Group, administrators of business privilege/ mercantile taxes and local services taxes (LST), has been actively seeking businesses that belong on Conshohocken’s tax rolls, but are not. The company provides the Borough a unique service through its “Discovery Program” that identifies businesses that have not paid their business privilege taxes, and brings them into compliance. Tri-State Financial Group has located several such businesses and is in the process of contacting others who have not paid.

Boathouse agreement approved

After many years and grand visions for bringing Conshohocken residents to the waterfront, last Wednesday Council took a concrete step to initiate a joint venture with area schools that will result in a new boathouse along our waterfront.  When complete, the new boathouse will provide recreational access to the river for Conshohocken residents.

from Jenny DeHuff of the Times Herald

CONSHOHOCKEN — In a move dubbed a “breakthrough” for the borough, Conshohocken council unanimously approved an agreement with developers to construct a boathouse along the riverfront.

Members of the council said Wednesday night that acquiring a boathouse is a huge step in connecting the Conshohocken community with the waterfront.

The boathouse is slated for the borough-owned plot of land, commonly known as the “100-foot strip,” located between Ash and Cherry streets.

Read the entire article by clicking here.

Snow Emergency declared

Please note that a Snow Emergency has been declared.  No parking is permitted on Fayette Street or at any of the metered parking spaces in the Borough until further notice.

In light of the significant snowfall forecast for the next 24-36 hours, please recall Conshohocken’s Snow Removal Rules:

• A 3-foot path must be cleared on your sidewalk for pedestrian traffic.
• If you live on a corner you must clear an opening to the crosswalk.
• If your sidewalk abuts an alley you are responsible for clearing your half for pedestrian traffic.
• Do not shovel snow back into the street.
• Do not save parking spots with lawn chairs, trash cans, or other items. It prevents our Public Works Department from properly clearing the street.
• If you are a renter, check your lease to see if you or the Landlord is responsible for snow removal.
• If there is a fire hydrant on your property it should be cleared in case of an emergency.
• As a courtesy to your elderly neighbors clear their sidewalk or clean off their car. It’s a not a rule but it’s a nice deed.

Stay tuned for further updates.

No tax hike in 2011

Tonight Borough Council adopted Conshohocken’s 2011 budget.  This budget reflects our commitment to fiscal responsibility and the borough’s broad community priorities: maintaining our infrastructure, keeping Conshohocken safe, supporting our greening and environmental initiatives and promoting transportation options for seniors.  In fact, the budget provides for adding a sorely-needed traffic safety component to our police department.

 
I am proud to say that this budget keeps Conshohocken Borough (exclusive of school or county) property taxes in 2011 at the same level as 2010 — that means that there will be no Borough tax hike next year.  Many communities have struggled to balance their budgets in these tough economic times without raising taxes.  We’re fortunate to have a strong Finance Committee Chair in Council President Paul McConnell to help us keep our priorities straight while maintaining a strong focus on our finances.