A proposed amusement tax in Lower Towamensing Township remains up in the air.

Connie and Rich Banko have pushed for the township to consider an amusement tax as an alternative to revenue besides the taxpayers.

Connie Banko once again spoke on the topic at Tuesday’s board of supervisors meeting.

Township solicitor Jim Nanovic questioned where her information came from.

Connie Banko said it was a response she got after Googling it.

She reasoned that Blue Mountain Resort has become a year-round venue with various activities that continue to expand.

“Blue Mountain has turned that into Blue Mountain Resort because it does (cover) all year long and just keeps adding,” Connie Banko said.

At the conclusion of the meeting, supervisors held an executive session to discuss the amusement tax.

No action was taken on the matter by the board after it returned from the executive session.

Last month, supervisors tabled any action on the amusement tax in the absence of the solicitor James Nanovic.

In May, supervisors were asked to delay action on the matter.

At June’s meeting, Connie and Rich Banko disputed several of the claims made by Blue Mountain Resort’s attorney, as well as several Blue Mountain employees.

Connie Banko said that Blue Mountain general manager Jim Dailey keeps saying he wants to be a good steward of the township, but that she doesn’t believe Blue Mountain employees understood what the amusement tax would be applied to.

She also questioned why Blue Mountain is fighting so hard not to have to pay the amusement tax.

Dailey said that while Blue Mountain is opposed to the tax because it feels it does not apply to them, it is responsive to its neighbors and the needs of the community.

At that meeting, Dailey once again reaffirmed his commitment, and pledged Blue Mountain’s support to the township.

Angela Farrell, a member of the township planning commission, said she was still questioning what happened to the $50,000 annual contribution the late Ray Tuthill, former owner of Blue Mountain Ski Area, used to make to the township.

Retired Blue Mountain Resort CEO and minority owner Barb Green said throughout its 49-year existence, there have been several years in the past where Blue Mountain had bad years from a revenue standpoint and that when she took over at Blue Mountain, it was $25,000, and it went toward the township’s recreation area until they told her they no longer needed the money.

Green explained the reason why Blue Mountain is so opposed to an amusement tax is because it’s competing for the summer with the Jersey Shore, and people going on their vacations.

Resident Steve Kuhns said he didn’t believe Green understands the way the amusement tax works.

Kuhns said they aren’t going after the ski area, but instead the extra stuff they’re doing because it’s bringing in more traffic and as a result damaging township roads.

At May’s meeting, Blue Mountain Resort’s attorney, Jan Budman of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, warned the measure could spark an expensive legal fight and yield “zero dollars” from the ski area.

Budman said Pennsylvania legislation enacted in 2002 prohibits municipalities and school districts from levying amusement taxes on ski facilities.

He said Blue Mountain’s position is that even if the township passes an amusement tax, it would not apply to the resort.