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This is the spring 2015 edition of the official Middle Smithfield Township newsletter. This publication was mailed to each resident within the envelope of their annual tax bill. Designed and created by Steven Natiello.
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Middle Smithfield Township Bulletin ~ Spring 2015 To receive the emailed news digest, email [email protected]
2015 Township Meeting Schedule
To call a committee or staff member, dial
570-223-8920, then dial the appropriate
extension.
Middle Smithfield Township Board
ofSupervisors
regular meetings will be held the second Tuesday
and the fourth Thursday of every month at 7:00
P.M.
The Board of Supervisors will hold regular work
sessions Mon. - Sun. at 8:00 A.M., 9:00 A.M.,
10:00 A.M., 2:00 P.M., 6:00 P.M., and 7:00 P.M.
as needed throughout 2014, with Fridays at 8am
being primary.
Sewer Department workshops are held the 4th Friday of every month at 9am.
The Economic Development Committee (ext.
204)
EconomicDevelopmentCommittee@mstowns
hip.com Meets the second Monday of each month at 6:30
P.M. The main goals are to increase healthy
economic growth or existing businesses and
attract new businesses to our township.
The Golf Course Advisory Board (ext. 205)
[email protected] Meets the second and fourth Monday of each
month at 8:00 A.M. The main goals are to
facilitate stewardship of municipal golf course.
Historical Commission (ext. 203)
[email protected] Meets the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00
P.M. This group doesn’t just preserve artifacts,
but historic sites and the memories of our long
time residents.
Parks and Recreation Board (ext. 201)
Parks&[email protected] Meets the first Monday of every month at 6:30
P.M. Stewardship of township parks & recreation
activities.
Litter and Beautification (ext. 202)
Litter&[email protected] Meets with the Parks board. Dedicated to
beautifying the township. They meet with the
Parks board.
Planning Commission
[email protected] Meets the third Thursday of each month at 7:00
P.M. A volunteer board charged with advising the
Supervisors and guiding land use and
development at the municipal level, the Planning
Commission reviews all plans submitted by
developers.
Work sessions for the Economic
Development Committee, Golf Course
Committee, HIstorical Commission,
Parks and Recreation Board, and Litter
and Beautification will be held Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday at 10:00 A.M., 12
Noon, 2:00 P.M., 6:00 P.M., or 7:00 P.M.
throughout the year as needed.
All the above listed meetings will be held at
147 Municipal Drive East Stroudsburg, PA
18302. Any person with a disability requiring
a special accommodation to attend any
Township meeting should notify the
Secretary at 570-223-8920 as early as
possible, but not later than three working
days prior to the meeting. The Township will
make every effort to provide a reasonable
accommodation.
EMERGENCY CONTACTS
UTILITIES PPL: 800-342-5775
Met-Ed: 888-544-4877
Frontier Communications: 800-921-8104
Verizon Pennsylvania: 800-479-1919
Blue Ridge Communications: 800-222-
5377
MONROE COUNTY RED CROSS 570-476-3800
TRAFFIC AND WEATHER: 511 or www.511PA.com (online)
ROAD CONDITIONS To call about roads under PennDOT’s care, please call: Monroe County: 570-424-3024 Pike County: 570-296-7193
FOR URGENT EMERGENCIES
DIAL 9-1-1
SEWER 570-223-8920x115, M-F 8am-4pm After Hours, Weekends, Holidays: 570-629-0292
LOOK INSIDE
for information about
Your 2015 Tax Bill This bill represents your annual Monroe County,
Middle Smithfield Township, and Library Tax.
Middle Smithfield
Township Info:
MiddleSmithfieldTownship.com 147 Municipal Drive
East Stroudsburg, PA 18302 570-223-8920 • [email protected]
Supervisors:
Annette Atkinson, x124
Michael Dwyer, x123
Mitchell Marcus, x125
Staff:
Township Secretary, Michelle Clewell, x112
[email protected] Right to Know Officer, Joan Woisin, x117 [email protected] Budget and Finance, Ray Wolfe, x131
[email protected] Central Sewer Coordinator, Joan Woisin, x117
[email protected] Roads Dept., x129 Zoning Officer & Building Inspector, x126 Shawn McGlynn
[email protected] Zoning Administration Judy Acosta, x128
[email protected] On Lot Sewage Enforcement Officer Dave Manter,
Committees:
[email protected] Parks&[email protected]
Litter&[email protected] [email protected]
Get Ready, Get Set,
Hunt Those Eggs! The free annual township Egg Hunt
is right around the corner. Don’t miss out!
Get Ready, Get Set,
Hunt Those Eggs!
Find new events and all event updates at
www.MiddleSmithfieldTownship.com/Calendar
Looking Forward to some great 2015 events! 3/28 Easter Egg Hunt 4/3 Golf Course Opens 4/11 Homeowners Association Meeting 4/25 1000 Feet of Street Cleanup 4/27 Leaf Collection begins 5/1 Dumpster Day Spring Cleanup & Freecycle 5/7-9 Freecycle 5/15 Leaf Collection ends 7/22 Toys for Tots TBD Photography Exhibit TBD First Art Gallery August Memory Makers
(drop-off only)
What Your Municipal Tax Dollar Provides
Your municipal taxes go towards:
Twice annual Dumpster Day Cleanup and Freecycle.
74 miles of municipal roads maintained o This includes several bridges, snow plowing/Clearlane/cinders, at least 8 miles of roads paved every
year, drains cleaned, and spring and fall leaf pickup
3 established parks and 2 new ones on the way o Enhancing and maintaining established parks:
Echo Lake, Judy Putek, and Resica Park o Creating 2 new parks:
Coolbaugh Community Gardens Park and the Bark Park at LeRoy’s Lane. Golf course and banquet hall. Community Planning, Zoning and Zoning Enforcement (such as cleanup of blighted
residences). Community involvement: residents can participate in their own committees (Historical,
Economic Development, Parks and Recreation, Litter and Beautification, Golf). Communication and information: newsletters, website, Facebook, MST Message
Boards, signage, etc.
Community Reinvestment: o Building a sense of community, for example,
litter and beautification efforts such as events
like Adopt a Road and 1000 Feet of Street
and streetscaping, Egg Hunt, Memory
Makers, Trunk or Treat, Tree Lighting, Person of the Year, and more.
Close to 60% of the single family homes in Middle Smithfield Township pay less than $250 a year in
municipal taxes and 88% of the single family homes in
Middle Smithfield Township pay less than
$420 each year in municipal taxes
and 88% of the single family homes in
Middle Smithfield Township pay less than
$420 each year in municipal taxes.
How To Read Your Tax Bill in 2015
Tax is on the value of real property, including land, buildings and other improvements, owned
by a taxpayer. Amount of real property tax owed depends on value of the property and the local
tax rate. For taxing purposes, property values are determined by an assessment process
conducted by county government.
The more than 100,000 parcels in Monroe County are assessed at 25 percent of their
perceived actual market value. A home assessed at $25,000 has a market value of $100,000.
All pre-existing homes and buildings in the county were last reassessed in 1988 to arrive at
common comparison values. Structures and improvements completed since then are assessed
based on the 1988 reassessment.
School districts, townships, boroughs, libraries and county government use millage to arrive at
a tax rate. Each mill represents $1 in taxes for every $1,000 of assessed value. So a school
district with a tax rate of 95 mills, or $95 per $1,000 of assessment, will charge the owner of a
$100,000 home assessed at $25,000, a school tax bill of $2,375. (25,000 x 0.095 mills.)
Real Estate Taxes: Your Tax Bill Explained
This tax goes to Monroe County,
which covers several Townships.
In this sample, the tax is $820.00.
This tax goes straight back into
Middle Smithfield Township.
In this sample, it’s only $366.59.
This tax goes to support the public
library system in the local area.
In this sample, the tax is just
$42.45.
In the sample tax bill below, the total is $1229.04. This total is broken down into three sections:
Monroe County Tax Library Tax Municipal Tax (that’s us!)
One mill represents $1 for every $1,000 that a
property is assessed at.
This means that an assessment of
$24.51 x 9.5 mills is $232.85 per year
Middle Smithfield receives $232.85 in taxes annually
for every property worth about $149,000.
But what’s a “mill”? Are you disabled or handicapped?
Do you know someone who is?
Please send the contact information and nature of disability
to our Emergency Management Coordinator for his records.
This information will help MST’s EMC team provide
assistance to the disabled during an emergency such as
Hurricane Sandy.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 570-223-8920, ext. 53
Emergency Management
Community Reinvestment
Expand on the growing sense of community.
Engage even more residents.
Increase opportunities for commercial growth.
2015 Goals
Recycling program, including the leaf composting facility.
Golf course and banquet hall.
Community Planning, Zoning and Zoning Enforcement (such as cleanup of blighted residences).
Community involvement: residents can participate in their own committees, including Historical, Economic Development, Parks and Recreation, Litter and Beautification, and Golf.
Communication and information: newsletters, website, Facebook, MST Message Boards, signage, etc.
3 established parks and 2 new ones on the way.
o Enhancing and maintaining the three established parks: Echo Lake, Judy Putek, and Resica Park.
o Creating 2 new parks:
Coolbaugh Community Gardens Park and the Bark Park at LeRoy’s Lane
Are you disabled or handicapped?
Do you know someone who is?
Please send the contact information and nature of disability
to our Emergency Management Coordinator for his records.
This information will help MST’s EMC team provide
assistance to the disabled during an emergency such as
Hurricane Sandy.
Email: [email protected] STEVE, feel free to delete this if you
need the room Phone: 570-223-8920, ext. 53
Emergency Management
Community Reinvestment
The Monroe County tax is
$820.00. This number is
highlighted in green.
The tax for Middle Smithfield
Township (that’s us!) is called the
Municipal tax and is highlighted
in yellow. Here, it’s only $366.59.
The library tax is just $42.45. This
number is highlighted in purple.
In this sample tax bill, the total is
$1229.04. This total is broken
down into three sections:
Real Estate Taxes: Your Tax Bill Explained
Tax is on the value of real property, including land, buildings and other improvements, owned by a taxpayer.
Amount of real property tax owed depends on value of the property and the local tax rate. For taxing purposes,
property values are determined by an assessment process conducted by county government.
The more than 100,000 parcels in Monroe County are assessed at 25 percent of their perceived actual
market value. A home assessed at $25,000 has a market value of $100,000. All pre-existing homes and
buildings in the county were last reassessed in 1988 to arrive at common comparison values. Structures and
improvements completed since then are assessed based on the 1988 reassessment.
School districts, townships, boroughs, libraries and county government use millage to arrive at a tax rate.
Each mill represents $1 in taxes for every $1,000 of assessed value. So a school district with a tax rate of 95
mills, or $95 per $1,000 of assessment, will charge the owner of a $100,000 home assessed at $25,000, a
school tax bill of $2,375. (25,000 x 0.095 mills.)
To put it a different way, 1 mill is $1 for every $1,000 in assessed value;
so 9.5 mills is $9.50 x 25 (if assessed value is $25,000) for tax bill of $237.50.
4
38.59
333.26
745.45
This tax goes to Monroe County,
which covers several Townships.
In this sample, the tax is $745.45
This tax goes to Middle Smithfield
Township.
In this sample, the tax is $333.26
This tax goes to support the public
library system in the local area.
In this sample, the tax is $38.59
In the sample tax bill below, the total is $1229.04. This total is broken down into three sections:
Monroe County Tax: 21.25 mills Library Tax: 1.1 mills Municipal Tax (that’s us!): 9.5 mills
One mill represents $1 for every $1,000 that a property is assessed at.
This means that an assessment of $35,080 = 35.08 x 9.5 mills is $333.26 per year
Middle Smithfield receives $333.26 in taxes annually for every property assessed at $35,080
But what’s a “mill”?
(worth about $140,320)
LIB 1.100 CTY 21.250
MUN 9.500
Photo by Steven Natiello
9/27 Memory Makers 10/11 Volunteer Appreciation BBQ 10/25 Halloween Trunk or Treat Event 10/27 Leaf Collection begins 11/15 “1000 Feet of Street” Cleanup 11/16 Leaf Collection ends 11/29 Tree Lighting and Shop Local Kickoff 11/29 Toys for Tots 12/31 New Years Eve celebration
Please visit our website for more details and official dates.
There are plenty of events being added by
Committees, Boards, and Groups!
Photo by Kim Williams
Upcoming 2015 Events Visit www.MiddleSmithfieldTownship.com/calendar for
event updates and rain dates
The official app for smartphones
A Township at Your Fingertips
No Smartphone? No problem!
Sign up for Middle Smithfield Township Notifications and get important information sent as text messages and very short emails directly to your mobile phone,
smartphone, PDA, or pager.
NOTE: Severe weather alerts may be sent directly from the
National Weather Service 24/7.
Signing up is easy and free! Visit the township website to
customize your alerts, or simply call the Township at (570) 223-
8920 ext 132 and ask about how you can be added to our text
and email notifications list. Or visit our website: www.MiddleSmithfieldTownship.com/TextAlerts
www.FinditinMST.com
Scan the code or visit the
website to download the
app for FREE!
Find out where you can eat, shop,
play, or stay with the new app
available on Android, iPhone, and
web-enabled mobile devices!
Where
mst
logo
Where MST
Mobile App Sign up for Middle Smithfield Township Notifications and get
important information sent as text messages and very short
emails directly to your mobile phone, PDA, or pager.
NOTE: Severe weather alerts may be sent directly from the
National Weather Service 24/7.
Sign up with TextCaster Text Alerts!
Signing up is easy and free! Visit the township website to
customize your alerts, or simply call the Township at (570)
223-8920 ext 132 and ask about how you can be added to
our text and email notifications list. Or visit our website:
www.MiddleSmithfieldTownship.com/TextAlerts
Recycling and composting page.
Recycling in Middle Smithfield
Composting at the Oak Grove
Multi-Municipal Compost Facility
Recycling in Our Township The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection
enacted “Act 101 – Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling, and Waste Reduction
Act” in July, 1988, mandating recycling in Pennsylvania`s larger municipalities. The
goals of the Act are to reduce Pennsylvania`s municipal waste generation; recycle
at least 25% of waste generated; procure and use recycled and recyclable materials
in state governmental agencies; and educate the public as to the benefits of
recycling and waste reduction.
The benefits of recycling and waste reduction include reduced
pollution risks; conservation of natural resources, energy, and
landfill space; and reduced disposal costs. Municipalities, such as
Middle Smithfield Township, with populations of at least 10,000 had
to implement curbside recycling programs by September 26, 1990.
Mandated municipalities are required to separate leaf waste from
other municipal wastes.
Don’t Miss the Township Cleanup! Visit:
www.MiddleSmithfieldTownship.com/Calendar
Staying Green in 2015
During the months of April, May, October, and November, the site will be accessible to residents for drop
off of leaf and brush. During municipal leaf collection months, township public works will be utilizing the site
to drop off what has been collected.
Rather than have each township incur the expense of purchasing, developing,
and maintaining small sites throughout the area (which could prove to be too small
in coming years and eventually require the purchase of additional sites), the 3
townships came together and looked for a central location that would be
inexpensive to the taxpayers and large enough to handle collection for the
foreseeable future.
Middle Smithfield Township, together with our neighbors at Smithfield and Lehman
Township, need a site to drop off material. According to the DEP, a suitable site
must be at least 5 acres.
Leaf Collection Facility: the Oak Grove Multi-Municipal Compost Processing Board The need for a Municipal composting site is essential to meet the Department of Environmental Protection
mandate that townships collect leaf and yard waste and dispose of these items in a safe, clean location.
You can learn more about the Oak Grove Multi-Municipal Compost Processing project by visiting the
official website at www.ogmmcpb.com
Periodically, the collected materials will be processed to accelerate the composting and maintain a clean
and safe site.
The Oak Grove site is open during
April, May, October, and November.
