Mayor's Message 12/28/22

Good evening. 

I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays.  By way of a friendly reminder, the trash and recycling schedule is impacted by the New Year holiday. The township building will be closed this Monday, January 2nd to observe New Year's Day and there will be no trash or recycling collections on Monday. Please visit our website www.upperdarby.org/trash to get more information on the trash schedule next week. During the week of January 9, Christmas trees will be collected along with the regular recycling.  Our public works staff chip the trees for mulch and they also  use them as part of a streambank restoration project near the Swedish Cabin along Darby Creek.  Recycling the trees also keeps them out of the incinerator.  Please consider recycling your christmas tree the week of January 9-13 along with your regular recycling.

Tonight is a special meeting where the 2023 budget and the 2023 tax ordinance is on the agenda. I want to thank Council for releasing the revenue replacement funds as part of budget resolution 54-22. These funds will allow us to minimally raise taxes, maintain the municipal services our residents and business owners are used to and deserve, meet our contractual obligations, and face the burdens of inflation. We have not raised taxes these last  two years. I understand that residents might prefer taxes not be raised at all. Please know that my administration  works hard to keep our costs down while providing world class services to residents and businesses in the township. I hope that council will go ahead and approve Resolution 54-22, which is a compromise budget that keeps the tax increase low (at 2.7%), uses American Rescue Plan money for its intended purpose of revenue replacement, and incorporates cuts that my administration and council negotiated.  The tax ordinance, ordinance number 3132, should reflect the budget that is passed tonight.  

Finally, I would like to wish everyone an early Happy New Year, and I look forward to 2023. 

Thank you.