Lawmaker meets with residents
JACKSON TWP — The state budget and natural gas drilling were the focus of much of a public meeting that state Rep. Jim Marshall, R-14th, had Thursday night with residents.
About 25 people from Jackson and Lancaster townships attended the meeting, which was Marshall's first in Butler County since his district was changed to cover part of the county.
State budgetMarshall explained progress on the state budget impasse that has gone on for more than five months.“The budget we passed in June I believe to be balanced,” he said. “I thought it was a budget that would permit the state government to continue to function.”He said it called for no tax increases, but the entire budget was vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf in June.Marshall said a framework for the new budget proposal is being worked on. He said a severance tax and personal income tax are “off the table” and that the state's deficit should be fixed by spending less.He also said a sales tax increase from 6 percent to 7.25 percent on items currently taxed is in the proposal. The increase would help reduce property taxes.“I don't know that we are much closer,” he said. “There's been little success in bringing it in.”
Natural gasResidents expressed concern over gas development and taxation, including enforcement of ordinances by Jackson Township over the MarkWest expansion.MarkWest has a natural gas processing plant near Evans City adjacent to a residential neighborhood on Textor Hill Road.The company was late in building a sound wall there. MarkWest had an agreement with the township saying it was supposed to build the wall by Sept. 30.However, MarkWest said more studies were needed before construction.The township worked out a deal for the company to build the wall by Oct. 31, the same day a noise enclosure building was due to be constructed over one of the gas compressors.Textor Hill residents said the township's lack of enforcement and zoning is to blame for the plant's expansion despite not meeting the original agreement.They also said their quality of life has decreased since the plant was built along with the addition of a dairy farm on MarkWest property.“They just keep doing what they want,” Shelly Behr said. “It's like all this money is being generated, but we're losing our shirts and our homes.”Marshall said he will send a letter to MarkWest and the township zoning board regarding the issue.“If you're dissatisfied with the zoning in your township, your township supervisors are elected,” he said. “I would suggest running against them or vote against them.”No township supervisors were at the meeting.As for the gas industry, Marshall said it is taxed “unlike any other” industry with a per well fee.“They have to pay some form of corporate tax and sales tax, but right now we're having the impact fee being distributed all across the state,” he said.He said while counties with drilling receive “a majority” of revenue, some counties without drilling receive it, as well as the state fishing and boating commission.“You can't tax an industry and think it's not going to tax citizens involved,” Marshall said.Joe White, chairman of the Harmony planning commission, said there are “excellent reasons” to tax oil and gas companies.“They may be taking the oil and gas out of the ground, but they didn't put it into the ground,” White said. “They should be heavily taxed for their good fortune, and the fact they have technology to take it out of the ground.”
Liquor lawMarshall said although he voted for liquor privatization, he is “not passionate” about the liquor reform bill. He said the system the state has now is “convenient enough.”“The only reason to go into liquor privatization is because we don't sell anything else,” he said. “The state doesn't control cigarettes, clothing or food, so why does the state need to be in the liquor business?”Marshall said he plans on voting for privatization again if a bill is presented.Lancaster Township resident Don Olson said the convenience of liquor privatization is worth supporting.“Here, I could go into a Bi-Lo and buy meat and groceries, but now I have to go to another store to buy my wine,” he said.However Marshall said convenience is not what should drive legislation.Marshall did confirm he will be at the Harmony Borough Council's Dec. 2 meeting to discuss residential development planned near the Connoquenessing Creek on the Jackson Township side.
