Borough of Macungie

Macungie Council Elects Christopher Becker President

Jean Nagle vacated her seat immediately.

In a reflection of the national stage, the Borough of Macungie also experienced a peaceful transfer of power Monday when Council voted Christopher Becker into its top seat. In a 5-2 vote, Jean Nagle was voted out of the president's chair. Council members Debra Cope, Joseph Sikorski, David Boyko, Linn Walker and Becker voted for the change. Gregory Hutchison and Nagle voted against. The issue was introduced by Cope right after the meeting began during the "Council Compliments, Complaints, Petitions and Appeals" segment of the meeting." She began with an analysis of 2012, citing decisions that were made with past councils often hanging inappropriately in the background. "Maybe some council members have not made peace with past council," she …

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Borough of Macungie

Public Comment Again Moved to End of Macungie Council Agenda

For the past two meetings Macungie Council has moved the public comment component of its agenda to the end of its meeting.

It seems Macungie Council again will contradict itself by moving the public comment portion of tonight's meeting agenda to the end rather than the beginning where it was placed it earlier this year. A month ago, Council Vice President Greg Hutchison placed it there for a meeting at which he would preside, but the meeting was cancelled due to lack of a quorum. Two weeks ago, council members Christopher Becker and Debra Cope protested when they again found that President Jean Nagle had placed the segment at the end of the Sept. 4 meeting.  

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Responsible Citizen

3:06 pm on Monday, September 17, 2012

Another symptom of what's terribly wrong and undemocratic about Macungie politics! Council continues to eliminate any plausible reason to vote for the majority of them when up for re-election! Particularly Pres. Naugle and her followers!   more ›

Borough of Macungie

Devine School Will Build in Macungie

The preschool hopes to build a facility on Main Street in Macungie.

A preschool and childcare center that seeks to construct a new facility in Macungie came before Borough Council July 2 to clear up the extent of road repairs it would be expected to do. Representatives of The Devine School asked Borough Council whether it would be required to do extensive renovations to Lumber Street, which is adjacent to the property the preschool has picked out.  Erich J. Schock, the attorney for school owners Christine and Joseph Devine, told Council that the proposed building is to be located at 135 E. Main Street but would have access off Lehigh Street. The school is to be built on less than 1-acre of the 5.2-acre property and is proposed to open by August 2013. Currently, the school has locations on Brookside Road in…

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Ron Beitler

12:51 pm on Thursday, July 19, 2012

This is a great potential project! Lets hope it works out. Lumber yard relocation and upgrade though remains crucial. Council has to get it right. You would be surprised how hard this gravel road gets used. It's also the only access trucks have to Lehigh Street. Moving it over to the side of the property opens the rest of the 5 acres up to so many more possibilities. http://www.ronbeitler.com/…   more ›

Five Things to Know This Week

Five Things to Know this Week: March 5 Through March 11

Starting Thursday, March 8, it is illegal to text and drive in Pennsylvania.

1. Meetings: Macungie Borough Council meets at 7:30 p.m. today at the Macungie Institute. 2. Coming Up: It's a tough one this week, folks. This week we want to know your favorite parck in Lower Macungie Patch. Please vote! 3. Most Popular Articles: Best Breakfast Spots in the Lehigh Valley, Giant Offers Mobile App for Shoppers and Commissioner President Apologizes for Possible 'Misinterpretation' 4. In Case You Missed It: Macungie Mayor Rick Hoffman would like to put GPS units in borough police cars. There could be discussion on it at tonight's council meeting. 5. Facebook: Get a shout-out from Patch! Be our 300th friend on the Lower Macungie Patch Facebook page!  We're almost there!!!

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Five Things to Know This Week

Five Things to Know this Week: Feb. 21 - Feb. 26

Moms! Come for the support, friendship and community as you meet other moms at 10 a.m. Saturday at Macungie Church of the Nazarene on Brookside Road. Share your heart with other moms!

1. Meetings: Macungie Council meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Macungie Institute. 2. Coming Up: More Cribbage at the Macungie Area Cribbage Klub Cribbage Jamboree. Catch it at 1 p.m. Thursday at 2904 Whitemarsh Place, Macungie. 3. Most Popular Articles: Five Patriotic Presidents Day Facts, Dozens of Properties Up for Feb. 24 Sheriff Sale and It’s Time to Make the Fastnachts. 4. In Case You Missed It: Don't forget to vote in this week's "Best of" poll: Who serves the best coffee in Lower Macungie Patch? 5. Facebook: Get a shout-out from Patch! Be our 300th friend on the Lower Macungie Patch Facebook page!

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Borough of Macungie

Macungie Passes Revised 2012 Budget

The borough's new millage rate is 8.95.

Macungie Council passed a second annual budget for 2012 at its meeting on Feb. 6. The $3.4 million budget calls for a tax increase of 1.45 mils for a total borough millage of 8.4. For residents whose homes are assessed at the borough average of $67,000, the proposed 1.45-mil increase would mean an annual tax bill of  $562.80, an increase of $97.16 over taxes paid in 2011. The budget restores some, but not all, of what Borough Manager Chris Boehm called "quality of life in the borough." It will restore: It will not restore: After a lengthy executive session to discuss personnel, council voted unanimously to hire Jordan Sonka of Allentown and Michaell Salvo Jr. of Conshohocken as part-time police officers who will be paid an hourly rate of $…

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Kasia Slodkowska

2:46 pm on Wednesday, February 8, 2012

:) yep   more ›

Five Things to Know This Week

Five Things to Know this Week: Feb. 6 to Feb. 12

You always wanted to know how to watercolor, right? Take a class at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Folkwerks in Alburtis.

1. Meetings: Macungie Borough Council meets at 7:30 tonight at the Macungie Institute. See you there? 2. Coming Up: Kids will enjoy storytime at the Emmaus Library at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, and grownups will enjoy playing bingo at Macungie Fire Co. No. 1 Social Quarters at 6 p.m. Thursday. 3. Most Popular Articles: 4. In Case You Missed It: What Makes a Teacher Good? by Margie Peterson made some good points. Take a look at it and tell us about the teacher you remember most. 5. Facebook: Get a shout-out from Patch! Be our 300th friend on the Lower Macungie Patch Facebook page!

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Macungie Council Agrees on Second Proposed Budget

Some, but not all, "quality of life" elements were restored.

Macungie Council approved a second preliminary budget for 2012 at its Jan. 17 meeting. After months of budget workshop meetings beginning in October, and several end-of-year council meetings where few members could agree, the seven-member council passed an austere 11th-hour budget just in time to allow for a 10-day public viewing of the original preliminary effort. They passed it  -- with a .68 of a mil tax increase -- on Dec. 28. Two weeks ago, Borough Manager Chris Boehm called on council -- with its three new members -- to re-open the budget and raise taxes by 2 mils which, she said, would “restore the quality of life” in the borough. But at a budget workshop meeting on Jan. 12, council members came together on a plan that would raise …

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Macungie Tax Hike Could Shoot Much Higher

Council reorganizes then votes to reopen the 2012 Budget.

Macungie Council reorganized at it's Tuesday meeting with the addition of Debra Cope, Linn Walker and Greg Hutchison. Once sworn in, Hutchison moved to nominate veteran council member Jean Nagle to be president of council. With a second by council member Walker, the motion was passed in a 4-3 vote with Cope, Joseph Sikorski and David Boyko dissenting. Walker then moved to appoint Hutchison vice president, and Hutchison seconded his own nomination. The second vote mirrored the first. After addressing new procedures for the new council, Borough Manager Chris Boehm appealed to the board to reopen the 2012 budget that was passed Dec. 27. "I am asking council to adopt a budget that will restore the quality of life in the borough. "I have a …

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Macungie Council OKs Budget With Small Tax Hike

Faced with a drop in revenue, Macungie makes staff cuts and raises taxes by less than a mill.

Macungie Borough Council approved a $3.2 million budget Tuesday night that raises real estate taxes by less than a mill.  By a vote of 4-1, council passed a .68-mill tax hike bringing the millage rate to 7.63 mills. That increase means that a homeowner with property assessed at the borough average of $67,000 will pay $511 in 2012, or $45 more than this year.   Voting for the budget were Jean Nagle, Chris Becker, Robert Bogert and Joseph Sikorski. Outgoing Council President Guy Ramsey voted against it and David Boyko and Dorothy Kociuba were absent.  Faced with a serious decrease in revenues like real estate transfer taxes, the borough was originally looking at a $320,000 deficit and a tax hike of 3.5 mills, Ramsey said. That was whittled …

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