Housing Authority Faces Major Federal Funding Cuts

Still in recovery from Sequestration, the Montgomery County Housing Authority looks at options for saving even more.

Federal funding is already stretched thin when it comes to Pennsylvania's housing authorities. Montgomery County is no different. Still feeling the hurt from cuts known as "sequestration," the county's Housing Authority is now reviewing what to do with even less. According to Herald-Mail.com, the state is facing deeper cuts to federal funds, "prompting them to shed employees, cut back rent vouchers or put off repairs to housing they own," according to the report. "The cuts leave some housing authorities without enough money to meet existing lease agreements with private landlords, although HUD has suggested that it will cover those deficits, said Joel Johnson, executive director of the Montgomery County Housing Authority, which is among …

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Sequestration in Montgomery County

Sequestration's Impact on Montgomery County

The First in a Four-Part Series: Many of the county's programs will be hit by the federal government's potential budget cuts.

Congress is on the clock. If changes are not made by Thursday at midnight, those across the nation will be affected by sequestration. The automated budget cuts will deliver a hit to Montgomery County programs, affecting many in the area. "Unless Congress acts by March 1, a series of automatic cuts — called the sequester — will take effect that threaten hundreds of thousands of middle class jobs, and cut vital services for children, seniors, people with mental illness and our men and women in uniform," said a release from the White House. The president has laid out his own plan for cutting the budget, but said that he is challenged in Congress. "Unfortunately, many Republicans in Congress refuse to ask the wealthy to pay a little more by …

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Sequestration Cuts Could Hurt PA, Fort Indiantown Gap

Military looks to cut $34 billion with cuts to defense budget

Few Americans can likely define "sequestration," but since the "fiscal cliff" is over, it's time to update your political vocabulary. The nation's politicians are seeking to shrink the country's spending, and one place the government wants to cut back is through military spending. "The cuts scheduled to begin March 1 take a huge bite out of the federal budget, including the military," said a report on WHPTV.com. "Those cuts will take a disproportionally large chunk out of military spending in Pennsylvania." The state seems to be more hardly hit than others in the country. According to statistics in USAToday, Pennsylvania will be the tenth hardest hit state in the United States. The Commonwealth is slated to lose 10,414 military jobs with …

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Lee

8:37 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013

Nothing Happened, see it was a fake out.   more ›

Fire Dept. Concerned With 2012 Budget

Borough budget issues affecting Royersford Fire Department

About 20 members of the Royersford Fire Department attended Tuesday's Royersford borough council meeting in support of their company. Fire Chief Gary Wezel presented a letter to the council detailing changes to the fire department's policies on non-essential and non-emergency services. "Support for the fire department is drastically decreasing," Wezel said. "Only 13-percent of the residents and 10-percent of the business financially support the fire department." Wezel also pointed out that fundraisers such as chicken barbecue dinners and Basket Bingo are barely breaking even. Equipment costs and other operating expenses continue to rise, while donations and grants used to fund the department are either decreasing or disappearing altogether…

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Royersford’s Library Needs Your Help

Annual appeal is underway but lack of government funding is a threat

The Royersford Free Public Library is calling on local residents and other supporters to help with its annual fundraising drive. The library sends out an appeal each year, but this year budget cuts on both the municipal and county levels are threatening the library more than in the past. “It would devastate the library system if it’s cut in the budget,” library board member Tom Thunstrom said. Thunstrom said massive cuts to the library’s funding don’t just affect the libraries in our immediate area. “This would impact other libraries that are independent of the Montgomery County – Norristown system,” Thunstrom said. “For example, the Lower Providence library [which is not part of the county system] would have trouble getting books on …

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Tom Thunstrom

6:41 am on Monday, December 12, 2011

The county is still welcoming public comment on the proposed budget through their website. Comments will be accepted until the morning of the 21st. http://www2.montcopa.org/montco/cwp/view,a,11,q,83532.asp   more ›