No tax increase in Tamaqua

Tamaqua residents will not see a tax hike this year, as council voted to approve the 2018 tax ordinance on Tuesday night.

The tax rate will remain at 21.75 mills, with 20.25 mills for general purposes, 1 mill for the building and equipment fund, and 0.50 mill for the Wabash Capital Improvement Fund.

Council also approved most of the bids for road materials for 2018. Lehigh Asphalt and Paving of Tamaqua picked up the bids for 400 tons of superpave asphalt mix, in the amount of $20,800 picked up at the plant, as did Pottsville Materials, which also picked up a bid for $23,092 for 200 tons of superpave, delivered to the borough.

Lehigh also picked up bids for 30 tons of super pave and 100 tons of superpave, both picked up at the plant, and 750 tons of antiskid material, delivered to the garage.

Pottsville Materials picked up bids for 100 tons of superpave, 100 tons of cold patch, and 100 gallons of PG 64-22.

Council opted not to award a contract for 500 tons of 2A stone, due to complaints from borough staff that the material was not up to par. According to Ron Bowman, the stone is mined from two different quarries, a limestone quarry or a sandstone quarry. The limestone is preferable, however, the bids were for sandstone material. The matter was referred back to borough manager Kevin Steigerwalt for further investigation.

A handicapped parking space application for 357 E. Union St. was approved.

Council approved a resolution stating that the borough will amend its zoning ordinance to permit wagering in its highway commercial and general industrial zones, if the borough is selected as a site for a Pennsylvania mini-casino. Councilman Micah Gursky said the possibility of a mini-casino coming to the area is unlikely, as a mini-casino is still a facility that is approximately 50,000 square feet. However, the borough did not want to prevent such a facility from coming to the area.

Council also held a moment of silence to remember Don Matalavage, a Tamaqua resident who passed away recently. Matalavage served as a borough worker for 36 years, 25 of them as the borough manager. Council President David Mace said Matalavage was still referred to regularly among borough staff and his impact on the borough is still felt daily.