May 4, 2018 4 min read

Carmichaels recently began collecting a variable fee to fund the 61 streetlights in the borough.

The ordinance, enacted Aug. 22, calls for an assessment based on the front footage of properties within 250 feet of a street light in Carmichaels.

The annual streetlight fund rate is 45 cents per foot for improved properties and 11.25 cents for vacant lots. The rate can vary annually and will depend on the previous year’s electric bills to power the street lights.

The borough sent certified letters notifying residents of the new charges in March with bills sent out in April.

Borough Councilman David Antonini said the borough decided to use the assessed front footage rather than a tax so the 59 nontaxable parcels also pay for the streetlights. There are 355 total lots in Carmichaels. All property owners will be assessed.

Antonini estimated this first collection would generate about $10,000 for the borough. The electric bill in recent years has been about $12,000 a year, but that’s before the borough installed cost-saving LED lights.

“In a small borough, that’s quite an expense,” Antonini said of the $1,000 monthly electric bill.

These funds, Antonini said, will be placed into a separate account and can only be used for streetlights. This first year’s funds will also cover administrative fees, like the cost of the certified letters to notify residents.

The assessment will be capped at a 250 feet of frontage, which for a nonvacant lot would come to a $112.50 maximum bill.

Antonini noted other municipalities charge for streetlights, some using a flat rate over an assessment. Cumberland Township, which envelops the borough of Carmichaels, charges a flat rate of $37 for streetlights. Nearby Brownsville in Fayette County charges $35.52 per year for streetlights and $11.52 for fire hydrants, included in the real estate tax bill, according to their website.

Antonini said several residents attended recent council meetings after the notices were first sent out, but they seemed to understand the reasoning for the fund after an explanation.

“Naturally, anytime you are asking for money, there are some people that don’t like it,” he said.

Antonini added that one resident came to the borough office concerned about their assessment, and it was determined to be incorrect. Antonini said the borough will work with those that feel a mistake has been made on their front footage assessment. If a mistake has been made, the borough would correct it before the bill is paid, Antonini said.

Resident Jeff McWilliams thinks a flat fee would be more equitable than a variable rate. One of his neighbor’s front footage comes up to just 12 feet, which he does not think is fair compared to his 154 ft.

He also feels there has been an error in calculating his bill but has not had a favorable response from the borough. If there are errors, he fears some residents may not look closely enough at their bills to determine if it is accurate.

The assessed front footage of his property was not included on his bill, which makes it more difficult to verify. He plans to attend the next borough council meeting to voice his concerns.

Some citizens also felt the decision was sudden, but Antonini said talks started before last year’s ordinance passage.

“This project was started in March 2016,” he said.

That’s when Carmichaels first reached out to West Penn Power about installing LED bulbs in the streetlights, which were put in place last summer. Antonini said the borough started to see monthly costs drop after that installation, but they haven’t been up long enough to do a true comparison.

If the fee is paid in May or June, there will be a two percent discount. July and August are considered on-time payments, and August through December payments will incur a late penalty. The bills can be mailed or paid in person. Subsequent assessments can be included with the real estate bill, according to the ordinance.

Anyone with questions or concerns about the bill should call the borough at 724-966-5506. The office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.