For more information, visit: http://treasurelaketheborough.com/

Myths and Facts about the Treasure Lake Borough Initiative:

What is a Borough?

Myth: Small towns that serve as a marketplace for the surrounding countryside.

Fact: A Borough is a municipality that determines its own destiny by passing ordinances and budgets that help meet the needs of the community. Anyone can look up the Pennsylvania Borough Code on the web to determine what a Borough may do. Please note in reading the use of the word “shall” and “may”. Shall means you must and may means it is up to you.

2. Who runs the Borough?

Myth: Lots of elected and appointed officials and employees who are paid for their services. 

Fact: Despite those that claim Boroughs are big government they are not. First the Special Borough committee recommends a Home Rule Charter form of Borough government. The purpose is to limit the role of government to public safety only. In this form of government you can also limit the number of elected officials and paid employees. Many Boroughs in Pennsylvania do not pay their councilpersons any salary so there is no Health Insurance or Pensions to pay unlike those of Sandy Township Supervisors.

3. Will taxes go up?

Myth: If Treasure Lake becomes a Borough, taxes will immediately go up.

Fact: There is absolutely no reason for taxes to increase. In fact, the projected budget put together by the Borough Committee calls for less revenue than is currently collected by Sandy Township. The millage will be the same or less than Treasure Lake Property Owners now pay to Sandy Township. When we become a Borough, your local taxes will only be used for Treasure Lake areas of responsibility.

4. Will TLPOA need to pay Sandy Township for the liabilities they have incurred?

 Myth: If Treasure Lake becomes a Borough, we will need to pay Sandy Township for the liabilities they have incurred.

Fact: It is premature to indicate what the division of assets and liabilities will be when we become a Borough, but consider this: Sandy Township has a fund balance of $17,000,000 and Treasure Lake has a fund balance of about $4,000,000. You might ask yourself how a small township acquired that high of a fund balance, but remember, as property owners in Treasure Lake we pay Sandy Township in excess of $1,300,000 a year in taxes and get virtually nothing in return. Some might refer to that revenue as a “wind fall,” while others view it as taxation without benefits.