This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Forks Holds 'State of the Township' Luncheon

Forks Township officials give an update on the public works garage and amphitheater projects at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

 

The state of Forks Township is "very sound."

That was the phrase Chairman Erik Chuss used to describe the township as it stands near the end of the first quarter of 2012.

Find out what's happening in Palmer-Forkswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Our state is very sound. We've had some small residential growth, our economic growth is positive and things are going very well from a township point of view," said Chuss, who was speaking at a Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce-sponsored luncheon at the in Forks.

Chuss brought along public works director Mark Roberts and township financial planner Jim Farley to provide updates on their departments and projects.

Find out what's happening in Palmer-Forkswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Among the status reports were that a should be on board by mid-April, work on the new public works garage is two-and-a-half months ahead of schedule and that the at Forks Community Park will open this summer.

"We have an outstanding staff and department managers and we provide some of the best services in the region," Chuss said, making it a point to tout human resources director Barbara Bartek and new supervisor John O'Neil.

Farley said the township has been using its surplus budget over the past year to balance expenses with revenues in an effort to maintain the tax base without having to raise taxes.

"Everything is down with the economy," he said. "We're trying to minimize the impact on people and businesses. We also want to maintain the quality of services we provide."

He said the township is projecting a little loss in terms of revenue and expenses for 2012.

"With a lot of municipalities and cities, you're seeing an erosion of services and an increase in taxes," Farley said. "Our businesses say it's tough right now. They are trying to maintain their services and not pass on extra to their customers."

But he believes the future is bright.

"Going forward, there is some surprising good news," Farley said. "There's a little glimmer in Forks Township. A few houses are starting to sell. Businesses like the Leaf are being welcomed here. I wouldn't be surprised to see a renaissance down the road. We're optimistic."

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Palmer-Forks