About Me

My photo
Nazareth, Pa., United States

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

New Recording Fee Gives Northampton County $130,880

Before retiring from Northampton County, Fiscal Affairs Director Vic Mazziotti proposed a new source of revenue, based on discussions he had with Recorder of Deeds Ann Achatz. It's a uniform parcel certification fee of $10, which can be charged whenever an instrument is presented for recording. Mazziotti predicted it would bring in $300,000 this year.

Mazziotti is wrong. Throughout the first four months of this year, the certification has brought in $130,880. If that trend holds, the County will reap $392,640 this year.

That's almost enough to pay for one Gracedale nurse.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

on top of the make believe $10 million. WoW.

Anonymous said...

Bernie get a life !

Bart Wilson said...

Bernie does have a life - his many mancrushes

Anonymous said...

Isn't great when some career government type gets applauded for implementing yet another hidden fee instead of having the balls to raise taxes to get the money they can't seem to stop spending. we hate when airlines and other industries do this. Mazziotti is a career sneak and all of his ilk should be ashamed. Take, take, take. Sneak, sneak, sneak.

Anonymous said...

LOL

dj said...

Amazing how Bernie always manages to make some kind of Gracedale attack on issues that don't even have to do with Gracedale. NONSENSE!

Anonymous said...

It's a "Tax" and he will do the same when (if) he get's elected in Lehigh County. Tax & Spend...

Anonymous said...

That is the way it should be with all County Services. Those who use the service pay for the service. The same should occur with transportation and highways. I don't drive. Why should I pay for roads and Bridges that I seldom use? I don't have children and never had children in the education system, so...why should I have to pay for someone elses kids? You buy property and sell property, why should I offset your expenses by paying transfer fees, etc.? I don't use County Parks but yet I must pay for them with my taxes. The list goes on and on. You use the service, you pay for the service. Simple rule. That isn't a tax. It is a fee for service. Mazziotti has the right idea. It's Bernie who is FORKED UP.

Anonymous said...

Thats an interesting concept anon. If you use the service, you pay for the service. I love that idea.

But then there is gracedale where 85% of the users pay zero.

Anonymous said...

Basically a tax increase! Some fiscal conservative Mazziotti is!

Bernie O'Hare said...

It's not really a tax hike, but it is a service fee that was not being charged. It will raise enough money to pay 5 salaries or more at the County next year.

Anonymous said...

Sorry Bernie it is a tax. Call it whatever you choose to.
Mazziotti the tax and spend liberal.

Anonymous said...

As with everything "Mazziotti," Lehigh County did it two years ago. It's easy to innovate when you can just copy the county next door.

Anonymous said...

I agree. Mazziotti is a "check it out and see what the others are doing" kind of guy

Anonymous said...

That should almost pay for your attorney fees that the taxpayers paid for otter.

Anonymous said...

The previous poster who doesn't drive and doesn't want to pay for roads must never consume anything that doesn't travel on those awful roads. Good luck.

The Battle Cry of Freedom said...

If he wants the fee and he predicts the amount raised he should also show the elimination of same amount in other useless programs or a cut in salaries.No new fees/taxes

Patrick McHenry said...

Bernie -

Did I miss the part where Mazziotti had the power to implement this? Isn't that the job of the County Executive/County Council.

Mazziotti's job was to present options, as requested by the administration (and council).

Whatever credit or blame others want to give him is honestly beyond the power he had at Northampton County.

Anonymous said...

Guys who brag about nuisance fees as a way of circumventing open budgetary discussions are sneaks and are unfit for office. They are political pickpockets; modern day Ali Ba-bas.

Anonymous said...

Another fee, great. Anyone ever take a close look at your phone bill? Unbelievable how many fees/taxes there is!

Anyway we can debate (as adults) the idea of a flat tax or consumption type tax? I would love to hear your opinion on the matter Bernie. I've been hearing more and more on that so maybe it is a relevant topic.

Anonymous said...

Pardon my abuse of the english language, I meant to say fees/taxes there are. Or maybe i'm wrong with that also.

I knew there was a reason I earned a degree in Accounting and not English/writing.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"nyway we can debate (as adults) the idea of a flat tax or consumption type tax?"

I'll check it out.

Anonymous said...

Just today I received a robo-call from the very righteous slate of four again decrying Dean Browning’s heresy of supporting a tax increase. Now we find out one of the self sanctified appears to be guilty of the same. Interesting.

Scott Armstrong

Anonymous said...

Anon:9:31 am
There then there is Gracedale where 85% of the users pay zero.

A resident of Gracedale who receives a pention check or a social security check or both they are turned over to the county and that resident gets $ 45.00 a month. So they do pay. A member of my family received an inheritance and payed $7,550.00 plus her monthly checks. Get the true facts.

Anon:11:37

Taxpayers did not pay Larry Otter's fee's

Bernies , angle, stoffa maybe ?

Anonymous said...

Only a slub like Mazziotti would brag about the thieves tax, a fee.

Of course one would expect as much from one of Stoffa's henchmen!

Anonymous said...

Any fee that Mazziotti would have raised would have to go through County Council before being enacted. I don't remember County Council voting on this fee, but could have happened. I don't know. As for doing things that other county's do, that's called best practices and that's what you are supposed to do. This is a fee for service, not a tax and that's the way government should be run. Hell, with all the litigation Angle and BO been up to lately, we should not be in the red!