By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
If the borough and township were to consolidate, all municipal debt would be combined, according to a recommendation from the finance subcommittee of the Joint Shared Services/Consolidation Commission.
”All debts would be combined,” said Mayor Chad Goerner, who heads the finance subcommittee. “All borough debts and township debt will be combined within the new municipality.”
When the group looked at the long-term debt analysis, they discovered that the debt apportionment would be about equal for township and borough residents.
The total debt service from 2011 to 2015 is $14,429,737 in the borough and $27,939,880 in the township with total cost to the average property being $4,875 in the borough and $4,961 in the township over the five-year period.
”When we did that, the differential between the two municipalities was minor,” said Mayor Goerner. “That’s why it made sense for us to share debt.”
The average home in the borough is valued at $877,155 and $907,400 in the township
With it’s larger ratable base, the larger debt of the township apportions out to about the same amount per average homeowner as the boroughs smaller amount of debt and smaller ratable base.
The calculation of the debt per average home is based on the equalized values of the properties in each municipality.
The subcommittee did explore the option of apportionment of debt, or each former municipality keeping its own debt.
In other consolidation news, a joint public meeting will be held at the Township Municipal Complex on May 11 to review the options report from the Center for Government Research; present the current recommendations of the Commission, and receive comments and input from attendees on the recommendations.

