Preliminary Harrisburg school district budget proposes 3.4% property tax hike

May 13, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg school district’s Lincoln Administration Building.

For a second straight year, Harrisburg property owners would see their tax bills shoot up under a proposed budget by the city school administration.

The district is proposing a 3.4 percent tax hike that would increase the millage rate from 28.8 mills to 29.78 mills.

The average city homeowner, with a median property value of $42.800, would see the school portion of their property tax bill increase by $41.91, according to budget data. The hike would raise $1.37 million for the district.

Property taxes support about one-quarter of the district’s annual budget, with the remainder originating from a variety of other taxes and fees, as well as state and federal government support.

“I don’t agree with raising taxes to make up for the budget shortfall,” said board member Carrie Fowler, who added that she opposes the proposed budget. “We’ve been taxed enough. We don’t need to be taxed more for this over-bloated administration.”

The $155.5 million proposed budget for the 2019-20 school year is about $5 million more than the current, 2018-19 budget and about $9 million more than the 2017-18 budget.

The greatest increases in expenses originate from faculty pay and retirement contributions. The district, which has 6,540 K-12 students and 936 faculty and staff, also proposes dipping into its reserve (savings), reducing that fund by some $3 million.

Last year, school property taxes rose 3.6 percent, the maximum amount allowable under state law.

Meanwhile, the state continues to withhold $10.9 million from the district after charging that the district was not fully complying with a financial audit. The district since has stated that it has complied with the audit, but the state has not yet reinstated those funds, said Fowler.

The administration plans a series of community meetings to publicly discuss the budget. The next one is slated for May 20 at 5:30 p.m. at Marshall Math Science Academy, 301 Hale Ave.

That meeting, however, is taking place far too late, said Fowler.

She charges that the administration is not in compliance with the state-mandated budget process, as the preliminary budget was supposed to be available for public review by Jan. 31.

“We’re out of compliance,” she said. “I didn’t see a proposed budget until today.”

The deadline to pass a proposed preliminary budget is May 31, with a final budget due to pass by June 30. New tax rates would be reflected on school property tax bills that are mailed in July.

Obituary: Naed Smith

May 13, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Naed Smith. Photo: Dani Fresh

It is with deep sadness that we learned of the sudden passing of Naed Smith, the long-time manager of the Catholic Worker House on Market Street.

Originally from Wilkes Barre, Edward “Naed” Smith, 52, came to Harrisburg more than 20 years ago and had been a constant presence in Allison Hill since, with his House of Hospitality helping innumerable people throughout the years.

Harrisburg will be a lesser place without Naed’s selfless devotion to helping the city’s poor and destitute. Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 16 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the St. Francis Assisi Catholic Church, 1439 Market St., Harrisburg, followed by a memorial Mass.

Several years ago, Dan Webster, a former managing editor for TheBurg, wrote a lengthy profile of Naed for his periodical “Local.” Dan has kindly allowed us to link to it. Please click here (Naed) to read this wonderful tribute to the life and work of Naed Smith.

In addition, please find below the full obituary for Naed Smith, which offers more information about his life and work, as well as details of the memorial Mass.

Obituary: Naed Smith

Following a challenging struggle with depression, Edward J. “Ned” Smith, Jr., (Naed), 52, ended his life at his home in Harrisburg on Friday, May 10, 2019.

A native of Wilkes-Barre and a resident of Harrisburg, Ned was well known in both cities and internationally for his tireless commitment to promote peace and build strong communities over several decades.

Our family asks that you open your heart and offer compassion without judgement for Ned and those who suffer from mental illness. Ned was a servant leader who was dealing with depression for some time, leaving behind a bereaved community, family, and friends.

Over the last several days, we have received an outpouring of condolences from friends and neighbors who have recounted their most heartfelt memories and stories of Ned. Many have shared that Ned ended every conversation with a simple: “Peace”. And so we say it to you now, Ned, Peace – with the hope you’ve finally found it.

Born March 13, 1967 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Ned was the son of the late Edward J. Smith, Sr. and Dorothy Ann (Whitonis) Smith. He grew up in the Mayflower section of Wilkes-Barre, PA where he could often be found playing with his friends at the Huber Street neighborhood park across from his family’s home. He was a member of St. Patrick’s Church, the Heights Packers mini-football team, and later played varsity football as a linebacker in high school.

Ned graduated from the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial High School in 1985 and received his Bachelor of Sociology from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, PA. During college, Ned was drawn to prayer and contemplation. In addition to sociology studies, Ned was a student of theology and attended Catholic Mass daily. He volunteered in the early programs of the Peace and Justice Center, directed by Sister Constance Kozel, RSM. He credited Sister Kozel with encouraging him to follow his interests in peacemaking. It was in the chapel at King’s College where Ned encountered Catholic Worker literature. He learned about the famed social justice movement, founded by Catholic intellectual, Dorothy Day, who advocated honoring the dignity of the poor by living amongst them.

Following graduation from college, Ned served as a campus minister at Wilkes University, and as a staff member at Vision House in Scranton, which offered shelter and counseling to men who had been released from prison and struggled with addictions. Ned also served as a human rights observer in Haiti during the time the Haitian military seized power, and Ned returned to Haiti and to El Salvador throughout his social justice career to discourage political intimidation and violence. Ned has participated in numerous acts of non-violent civil disobedience, including a protest action at the Ft. Benning School of Americas that led to his arrest, conviction, and six-month sentence in federal prison in 2006.

Despite Ned’s activism, there was a quiet shyness about him. He was a free-spirited, somewhat stubborn soul and in the words of a dear friend “was in the rarest class of humans, one of the quiet walkers”. Ned’s actions spoke louder than his words, he gave of himself and was actively and quietly helping those in need. He planted and cultivated a vibrant vegetable and flower garden and, as one former community member remarked, “Ned struggled to balance his need for regenerative time in nature with his commitment to his neighbors on the Hill”. Ned himself said, “I need some green space to breathe properly.” Over the past 20 years, the St. Martin de Porres Catholic Worker House has been Ned’s primary home and place of vocation and servant leadership. The home is an intentional community that practices voluntary poverty as it addresses the spiritual and material needs of an economically poor neighborhood just a mile from the state’s Capitol Building in the Allison Hill community. Allison Hill had been the center of Ned’s world. He envisioned a dignified, peaceful community and he worked tirelessly to support that vision.

Ned was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Harrisburg where he was a 3rd Order Lay Franciscan and actively involved in Pax Christi, the international Catholic peace movement for 22 years. He later helped to establish Pax Christi’s USA’s national Youth and Young Adult Forum. In 2013, he was the recipient of the Susan Merrill Constance Kozel Award. This award is presented to individuals whose contributions to society reflects the principles of justice and peace.

Surviving is his mother, Dorothy A. Smith, Hunlock Creek, PA; three sisters: Jennifer Smith, Baltimore, MD, Kristen Prutzman (and her husband, Todd), Forty Fort, and Lauren Siegfried (and her husband, Tim), Shavertown; one niece and one nephew, Lauren and Owen Oechsle, Baltimore (who knew Ned as “Tio”); and many, many friends, too numerous to count, all of whom will miss him greatly.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated 11:00 am Thursday, May 16, 2019, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 1439 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103 with the Rev. Orlando Reyes officiating. Friends will be received Thursday at the church from 9:00 am until 11:00 am and are invited to join the family for a luncheon in the church hall following Mass.

A second Memorial Mass will be celebrated 9:00 am Saturday, May 18, 2019, at St. Patrick’s/St. Andrew’s Church, 316 Parrish St, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702. The Mass will be followed by a luncheon. Directions and venue details will be shared at the Mass.

Burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Wilkes-Barre will be held at the convenience of the family.

Friends are encouraged to make contributions in his memory to his church or to the Saint Martin de Porres Catholic Worker House, 1440 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103.

Kimmel Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

The Week that Was: A summary of news and events around Harrisburg

May 10, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

A scene from Wednesday’s school board candidates debate

What happened around Harrisburg last week? Here’s a summary of news and events that you may have missed.

Harrisburg city administration briefed City Council on a proposed five-year financial plan for the city, which shows essentially a flat operating budget through 2023. The city and the state-appointed Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority must approve a plan before Harrisburg can exit Act 47. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg school board candidates held their final debate before the May 21 primary election. Once again, the stage was left to the challengers, as no incumbents (with one brief exception) showed up to engage in the discussion. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg voters will experience changes to their polling locations in three wards. Voters in the 6^th Ward, the 11^th Ward and the 9^th Ward, 2^nd Precinct will have new voting sites for the May 21 primary. Click here for the full story.

Sara Bozich listed more than 100 things to do for this weekend, with something to suit about every taste and interest. Click here for the full story.

Sprint soon will open a new store inside of Strawberry Square. The store will occupy space on the first floor recently vacated by GNC. Click here for the full story.

Additional stories from TheBurg Daily over the past week:

Allison Hill stakeholders wonder why their neighborhood was selected for a medical marijuana facility.

Andrew Guth is our “Artist in Focus” for the month of May.

Cost of housing is on our editor’s mind as he ponders the question: What can you buy for $200,000?

Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra will hold its annual Mother’s Day concert this weekend.

Our Musical Notes columnist opines on several shows this month that aren’t exactly youth-oriented.

Do you receive TheBurg Daily, our daily email digest of news and events? If not, subscribe here!

Where Do I Vote? Several polling locations have changed in Harrisburg

May 9, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The Susquehanna Art Museum will serve as an emergency polling station for Ward 6 in Harrisburg.

The municipal primary is fast approaching, prompting Dauphin County to remind voters that several polling stations have changed in Harrisburg.

Recently, the county changed three voting places in the city due to various issues with the former locations, Board of Elections Director Gerald Feaser has said.

For the 6^th Ward, the board just this week found it had to move the polling location to the Susquehanna Art Museum, 1401 N. 3^rd St., from the United House of Prayer for All People on Reily Street. This emergency move is due to construction at the church that has taken longer than expected, according to the county.

In the 9^th Ward, 2^nd Precinct, the polling station has been moved to the Choice Community Christian Church Social Hall, 1524 Walnut St. This change was made because the former location, the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg, was sold, and the new owner plans to begin construction work. Also, the old site was not compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations, the county said.

In the 11^th Ward, the polling place has been moved to the Governor’s Square Community Room, 2018 N. 5^th St. The former location, the Neighborhood Center on N. 3rd Street, no longer wanted to serve as a polling site, according to the county.

The primary election is slated for Tuesday, May 21.

For a complete list of polling places, click here.

For more information on the candidates for Harrisburg City Council, click here. For more information on the candidates for school board, click here, here and here.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

May 9, 2019 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

Things to know for this weekend, a list.

Wine slushies for charity at Hops, Vines & Spirits Tasting Room – ALL WEEKEND
1st SoMa Block Party of 2019 kicks off Saturday!! FREE + open to the public. Pay-as-you-go. HYP Home Tour attendees get free food & drink.
Goodness, I hope you got your mama something. Sunday is National Brunch Day. I’m still not sure why that’s all mom ever gets, but please treat her to the breakfast/lunch combo of her choosing. May we recommend:

What are you doing this weekend?

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Candidates hash out priorities, policies during Harrisburg school board debate

May 8, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Lewis Butts makes a point at Wednesday night’s school board candidate debate at HMAC.

There was a sense of déjà vu on Wednesday night as numerous challengers, but few incumbents, crowded the stage during a school board candidate debate in Midtown Harrisburg.

A large group of residents attended the event at the House of Music, Arts & Culture (HMAC), as did all eight Democratic challengers: Gerald Welch, Jayne Buchwach, Cory X. Williams, Lewis Butts Jr., Steven Williams, James Thompson, Doug Thompson Leader and Ralph Rodriguez.

Three incumbents—Lola Lawson, Ellis R. Roy and Patricia Whitehead-Myers—did not attend, though Roy had a surrogate read an introductory statement. One of the incumbents, Lionel Gonzalez, departed after attending only about 15 minutes of the two-hour event.

“We invited all 12, so who showed up, showed up,” said Brian Ostella of Friends of Midtown, the community group that organized the debate, which was held in anticipation of the May 21 primary for five, four-year seats on the board.

The most open-ended question arguably came first when moderator Brandon Flood, secretary of the state Board of Pardons, asked candidates to name a specific goal or two that they would like to implement to improve the district.

Challenger Steven Williams answered first, naming adherence to the state recovery plan and the desire to bring more counselors into the district.

“We have students dealing with serious issues outside the classroom,” he said
“Bringing in more counselors is crucial . . . to give students the life they deserve.”

Butts said that he wanted to put each of the nine board members into one of Harrisburg’s schools, presumably so they could get to know and advocate for the school.

“Each board member will be assigned to a school. They’ll have an office in that school,” he said, adding that improving nutrition is also a priority.

Rodriguez advocated “more services for students,” such as counseling and support. He also recommended an audit of contracts, saying he believed that there was overlap among services and vendors.

“I’d like to go through the books and do a full audit of programs in the district,” he said. “The school district should have just one umbrella of programs.”

Buchwach reiterated the themes of “transparency and accountability,” which she has brought up repeatedly at numerous forums and debates over the past month.

“That is the one big goal, to put in policies and procedures to do that,” she said, while also advocating “restorative policies in our schools, so that suspension and expulsion are not first results.”

Gonzalez, the only incumbent to attend, simply mentioned that he’d like to see students do better academically.

“I would love the children to get better grades. I would love the children to get motivation,” he said, before promptly walking off the stage and not returning for the remainder of the debate.

Welch mentioned improving graduation rates as a major goal if he were elected.

“I would like to see more college enrollment,” he said. “That’s the reason I got involved in the school board race, because we were lacking in graduation rates.”

James Thompson said that he’d like to see a change in the district’s leadership—the superintendent—and an improvement in reading performance.

“We have in our schools 20 percent or less that are making reading proficiency,” he said. “You cannot learn if you cannot read.”

Doug Thompson Leader built on the argument of top-down change, saying that the school board also needed new blood.

“I hope we get five independent-thinking, smart people on the board. I mean, five independent thinkers who are going to focus on policy,” he said, adding that communication also needed to improve among the district, parents and the community.

Cory X. Williams added to that point.

“First, I would work hard to bridge the gap between the schools and the community” he said. “As a community, it’s up to us. It takes a village to raise a child.”

Many times, the candidates espoused the importance of community involvement, even pointing to the crowded and often vocal group of residents gathered for the debate.

Organizer Ostella also complimented the turnout for the event.

“Harrisburg is nothing without its residents, and engaged residents make it a great place to live,” he said.

The primary election is slated for May 21. The competition is only among Democrats, as no Republicans are running in the race.

For more information on the candidates and their positions, please read our previous debate coverage here and here.

Harrisburg readies 5-year financial plan in critical step to exit Act 47

May 7, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg City Council chambers on Tuesday night

Harrisburg officials tonight dug into the details of a proposed, five-year financial plan for the city, a critical step to fulfill a state mandate and ultimately exit Act 47.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse made a presentation of what he called a “responsible” long-range budget, which assumes “no significant growth” in the city’s tax base, yielding a flat operating budget of about $64 million through 2023.

“This is, in my opinion, a fiscally responsible plan,” he said. “It doesn’t call for the raising of taxes.”

The commonwealth required Harrisburg to draft a five-year financial plan as part of legislation passed last year that allowed the city to retain its elevated local services and earned income tax rates for another five years.

That plan must be approved by the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA), the state-created body tasked with overseeing the city’s financial recovery.

After the budget plan passes muster, both the ICA and City Council must approve an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement. Papenfuse said that he hoped that step would occur by early July, before council takes its traditional six-week summer recess.

At that point, the city would be able to exit Act 47, the state’s program for financially distressed municipalities, Papenfuse said. The city has been in the program since 2010.

While revenues are assumed to remain mostly flat over the five-year period, expenses are expected to increase by several million dollars per year, with the gap made up by tapping the city’s substantial fund balance.

Over the next five years, the fund balance is projected to decrease from the current $21 million to about $3.3 million, leveling out at about 5 percent of the operating budget, which, according to Papenfuse, is the city’s target level.

In recent years, the city has built up a large fund balance mostly by under-spending its budget over successive years.

Councilman Ben Allatt said he was concerned about reducing the fund balance so greatly, considering that the city may well lose its enhanced taxing authority after the five-year period.

“I am concerned about going down to 5 percent, losing sources of revenue, then worrying about the scenarios that we can’t see right now,” he said.

Papenfuse responded that he expected that the city would continue to under-spend its budget, meaning that the fund balance may be higher. In addition, the five-year plan, he said, is a “living document” that will be amended annually.

“When all is said and done, the plan will change a lot from year to year,” he said.

In addition to the annual operating budget, the five-year plan also addressed the city’s capital improvement needs.

The plan divided capital projects into several buckets: critical projects that must be funded, less critical projects and lower-priority projects.

To that end, over the next five years, the city expects to spend $7.8 million on what it deems its most critical capital needs, which includes upgrades to 2^nd Street, IT hardware and software, police patrol vehicles, police body cameras, fire apparatus and vehicles for public works.

Another 50 projects, costing some $8.4 million, are seen as important, but less critical. They include many park projects. Park projects also take up much of the third-tier priority list.

The administration also addressed the issue of what might happen after the five-year plan period expires in 2023.

Papenfuse said that, ideally, the legislature would agree to allow Harrisburg to continue to levy its higher taxation levels, revenue that makes up about 18 percent of the city’s operating budget.

However, if that doesn’t happen, the city should consider a Home Rule charter, which would free it from the strictures of the state’s third-class city code, he said. Harrisburg, then, would be able to recoup much of that lost revenue by retaining its current 2-percent earned income tax rate.

“I’m not here to debate Home Rule now,” he said. “But it is something we should debate as a city.”

In the end, the city needs to emerge from the five-year period with enough revenue to operate and, ultimately, have its credit rating restored, he said.

“The reality is that the city cannot survive without the taxing authority we currently have,” he said.

The city’s baseline financial forecast through 2023, as currently drafted

New Sprint store to fill out interior retail space in Strawberry Square

May 6, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

A Sprint store will open in this space in Strawberry Square.

Harrisburg cell phone users soon will have a new option to browse and buy, as a Sprint store is coming to Strawberry Square.

Rahim Ali, CEO of Techtel Communications, said that his company will have a soft opening for the store on May 27.

The new store will occupy about 1,300 square feet of first-floor space that formerly housed the supplement and vitamin company, GNC.

“We really liked the location of Strawberry Square, because it’s basically the center of downtown,” Ali said. “We felt that we would get the most exposure there.”

Front Royal-Va.-based Techtel operates a number of Sprint stores in Virginia and West Virginia. The Harrisburg location will be the company’s third retail location in Pennsylvania, Ali said.

Ali said that his company will offer new customers several specials and incentives during its first two weeks in Strawberry Square, including discounts for service and accessories.

Brad Jones, CEO of Harristown Enterprises, which owns Strawberry Square, said that Sprint brings the complex to full capacity for interior retail.

“Harristown is excited to welcome Sprint to Strawberry Square to lease our last indoor retail space available,” Jones said. “Sprint has a strong commitment to customer service, and we look forward to having them join our growing family of retail, office and residential tenants.”

In other Strawberry Square news, Jones said that he expects Curry in a Hurry, a food court outlet for Shipoke’s venerable Passage to India restaurant, to open in early June, a month later than originally planned, as the build-out has been delayed by several weeks.

The Week That Was: A summary of news and events around Harrisburg

May 3, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The House of Music, Arts & Culture (HMAC) in Harrisburg

What happened around Harrisburg last week? Here’s a summary of news and events that you may have missed.

Affordable Housing was the topic of the evening at a Harrisburg City Council work session last week. Three area organizations told of their approaches and offerings, as council began to ponder options to offer greater affordable housing in the city. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg City Council candidates last week held a debate that featured a discussion about everything from city finances to the state of the school district. Four of the six Democratic candidates participated in the event at the House of Music, Arts & Culture (HMAC). Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg School District vowed “full compliance” with a state audit of its finances. The district had balked at providing an outside auditor with access to its financial systems, but, under increased pressure, agreed to allow it. Click here for the full story.

House of Music, Arts & Culture (HMAC) will be sold for $6 million, allowing it to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy. A U.S. bankruptcy judge has approved the sale, slated for early June, which may bring big changes to the Harrisburg-based arts, event and restaurant venue. Click here for the full story.

La Cultura will hold its second “Don’t Touch My Hair” event this weekend at its space on Verbeke Street in Midtown. The event, on Sunday, combines beauty, art, culture and business, with numerous local vendors highlighted. Click here for the full story.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore is expanding once again, as the owners have bought a nearby storefront on the 1300-block of N. 3^rd Street. The new space will serve as a retail location for Midtown Scholar’s discounted book inventory, freeing up room for more first-run books in the main store. Click here for the full story.

Pride of the Susquehanna held its annual launch into the Susquehanna River last week to begin operations for the season. The colorful riverboat is entering its 31^st year, partly due to community supporters who stepped up last year with donations after the boat lost one-third of its sailing dates due to high water. Click here for the full story.

Sara Bozich has some great ideas for things to do this weekend, including the final days of Harrisburg Beer Week. Click here for her complete list of events.

TheBurg distributed our May issue last week, another edition full of community news, features, events and commentary. Pick up a free hard copy at more than 500 locations around central Pennsylvania or read the digital edition online.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

May 2, 2019 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

4 more days of Harrisburg Beer Week! Have you tried the #717Collab yet? How are you celebrating the last few days?

Happy Birthday to my Mom! I’m joining her at Brewhouse this afternoon, then the remainder of my week is closing out Harrisburg Beer Week. Then, I can start working on all my post-Beer Week plans, which include things like, “see friends again” and “clean my office for real this time.”

What are you doing this weekend?

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