July is when all of the boroughs and townships publicize their new millage rates. These rates are used along with the assessed value of your property to determine what amount of county, township/boro, and school taxes that you will pay.
Here are the new rates for all of the areas in the counties we do business 2010 Fayette Millage, 2010 Somerset Millage, and 2010 Westmoreland Millage. Each county uses a different formula for calculating the assessed value of your property. Millage for Hidden Valley (Jefferson Township) went from 48.95 to 50.26 and Seven Springs (Middlecreek Township) saw a slight decrease in mills going from 32.11 to 31.97.
Here’s an example of the difference! If your property has an assessed value of $75,000 and you are in Hidden Valley your total tax bill (county, township and school) would be $3,769.50. At Seven Springs your tax bill would come to $2,397.75 This is just one of the variables that should be considered when deciding between the two resorts!
Amenities, facilities, association fees, services, these are a few that should be at the top of your list. Then there is location, price, size, ect granted most times you will have to compromise! The best advice we can give you is make a wish list of what is important to and hold out for at least for the top three items! REMEMBER ALWAYS work with a REALTOR offering designated agency!
The PA Gaming Control Board just announced that Nemacolin’s Public hearing will be held September 8, 2010 at 10 AM. You’ll need to travel to the Wharton Township Municipal Building at 114 Elliottsville Road, Farmington, PA 15437.
This meeting allows the public to voice their opinions, for or against, the proposed casino. It is also an opportunity for the public to learn more about how the casino may impact the community.
If you’d like to share your thoughts you must register PRIOR to September 2, 2010. If you are unable to attend you may submit written comments up to 60 days after the hearing. Information obtained from the hearings will be recorded and reviewed when the Board decides who will receive the last Category 3 license.
Abe attended the last one before Nemacolin pulled their application. She came away feeling that the majority of the speakers at the public meeting were overwhelmingly in favor of the casino. “What struck me the most was the presentation that Nemacolin provided. It was the same caliber of their web site marketing.”
We try to keep our readers more informed on the current happenings in the Laurel Highlands which includes Hidden Valley and Seven Springs Resorts. Now you are able to set up an RSS feed from our BLOG into your reader. That way you don’t have to search for our updates they come to when we post something new.
Many of you have a dazed look on your face! RSS feed! What’s that?! More technology?? Here’s a short YouTube video from commoncraft explaining what an RSS feed is and how it works!
Ok, now that you have a better understanding of how this will keep you updated on a more timely manner go get your reader! Then open up Laurel Highlands Local, look in the right column and scroll down until you come to the RSS Subscription box.
Click on the RSS symbol and it will ask if you want to subscribe and what folder you want the post to be delivered to. I have one in my e mail folders. That way you will get the latest on what’s happening in the Laurel Highlands, or from any other Blog or news source that you want to hear from!
The 49 Tourism Promotion Agencies representing all 67 counties of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have an incredible informational piece that outlines how vital tourism is to Pennsylvania’s bottom line. I’m reciting some facts just in case you don’t have time to open the link!
“Did you know that Tourism ranks as the second largest industry in Pennsylvania! How about, that our state is the 4th most visited state in the country! In 2007, visitors generated a total of $2.8 billion in state and municipal tax revenues (a little more than 10% of the total General Fund Expenditures in 2007-08).
Due to the major tax revenues generated by tourism industry in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, each one of our 4.9 million households benefits with $575 in tax savings. Put another way, if not for tourism industry, each household would have to pay $575 in additional taxes to maintain the current level of state services.”
In deed, we as REALTORS focusing our business on Hidden Valley, Seven Springs, and the immediate area in the Laurel Highlands are extremely biased in our support for the tourism industry. “We urge Gov. Rendell and our legislators to maintain FY 2009-10 Tourism Promotion Assistance funding at $8 million – funding that has already been contracted and awarded.
Without this support of a key state industry, the second round of cuts included in the Governor’s FY 2009-10 budget revisions would leave PA’s total tourism promotion expenditures at 65% below FY 2008-09.”
Here is the link that shares how YOUR VOICE can make a difference! Through a call, letter, or e-mail YOU can help to keep tourism a viable factor in our economy!
The following letter came to Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau members. We have permission to re-post in an effort to help spur action! So please read on!
Dear Member,
I want to take a moment to inform you of some recent state funding cuts that will impact the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau. These additional cuts were demanded by the Governor’s office after contracts had been awarded to each statewide tourism promotion agency. In an unprecedented move, the state told all entities to return money for sales and marketing projects that had not already been legally committed.
Over the past several years LHVB has seen its state funding for marketing and promotional programs decrease over $300,000. This most recent reduction in funding could mean a potential loss of an additional $200,000 for a total loss of more than a half-million dollars in the past three to four years.
The LHVB, along with the other TPAs across the state, is working with the Pennsylvania Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus and the Pennsylvania Tourism and Lodging Association to reach out to the Governor’s Office, as well as state legislators to reverse this action. We are apprising them of the potential loss of tax revenues from a decrease in tourism and significant job loss, making the state’s revenue situation even worse. (See attached letter.)
I am also appealing to all LHVB members asking that you express your concern via e-mails, telephone calls or letters to our state representatives and implore them to support Pennsylvania’s second-largest industry. The more calls and letters they receive from their constituents regarding theirconcerns and dissatisfaction over these additional funding cuts and the affect on LHVB and the tourism industry across Pennsylvania the better the chance of the legislature calling the Governor’s office and demanding the reversal of this devastating decision (to find your state representatives go http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm).
In closing let me say that even with these additional cuts the LHVB is still a very viable organization which is actively promoting the region on behalf of all our members as a premier tourism destination to potential visitors from our primary market areas.
Since Governor Rendell has blessed table games in Pennsylvania (just yesterday) Nemacolin Resort has decided they now want that last resort license available! If you remember back in 2006 they had submitted an application for a license. But before it could be awarded they withdrew!
At the time they cited the $25 per person charge requirement for their change of mind. That fee has been reduced to $10! Another change in the license is that the number of allowable slots has gone from 500 to 600. Add with table games being added to the mix the opportunity becomes much more interesting!
They announced that they have a casino management and marketing agreement with Isle of Capri Casinos. This is a relatively large corporation in the industry. They own and or operate 14 casino properties in six states and the Bahamas. There are several other resorts vying for this license! Our bet is on Nemacolin!
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