Polk Township residents will not see an increase in their 2015 taxes. The 2015 proposed budget will stay the same at 4.3 mills.

"We raised the taxes 1 mill in 2014 to allow us to make some necessary improvements that had been put off for a long time," said supervisor Chairman Brian Ahner. Up until then there had been no increase in the township taxes since 2005.If the budget passes, a property assessed at $20,670 will pay $88.88.The proposed budget is at $2,845,140 and will be approved at the 7 p.m. Dec. 22 meeting. The budget can be seen at the township municipal office at 165 Polk Township Road in Kresgeville during office hours.Billy Tippett, Polk Township Volunteer Fire Company's fire chief, reported the company responded to 16 calls in October and 14 in November. He said the company is selling T-shirts to help pay for the company's new firetruck.Santa Claus will be at the Dec. 21 fire company breakfast.C.J. Dickinson, business manager for the West End Community Ambulance, reported it responded to 49 calls in Polk for the month of November and thanked the supervisors for $13,000 in funding from the township for 2015. That was based on the number of responses in Polk, approximately 400 annually, which is 13 percent of the total volume. The share requested was about $1,000 per 1 percent.The township will now have its solid waste hauled to the Waste Management landfill in Pen Argyl effective immediately.Gerald Zurat, the township zoning officer, reported the township issued 19 permits, did 14 inspections and has two pending permits.The board approved advertising an ordinance that establishes seasonal weight restriction of 15 tons on Floyd Drive from Feb. 1-April 30 each year. It will be posted at both ends of Floyd Drive. Violators will be fined, not to exceed $500, for each violation plus court costs. It will be enforced by Pennsylvania State Police or any designated agent or employee of Polk Township. Certain traffic, such as emergency, fire, ambulance, law enforcement, school buses, government and utilities vehicles will be exempt. The township supervisors reserve the right to enter into agreements with heavy haulers who determine they need to use the road during the restricted period.The West End Parks and Open Space Commission had asked Polk Township to join the membership of the West End Regional Park at $22,000 a year. The board decided that the township has its own recreation areas, the Polk School has a playground, developments have their own recreational areas and the Western Pocono Jaycees park provides playing fields. They voted to donate $5,000 to the West End Regional Park instead.The new security entrance to the township's municipal building has been completed.Township solicitor James Fareri sent a letter at the supervisors' request to Valor Clinic's project engineer, stating they felt that a proposed pedestrian crossing across Route 534 was a safety hazard and asked them to rethink their request.Newly elected state Rep. Jack Rader told the supervisors he would like to have a presence in the township once a month. He would like to set up a date where Polk residents could come to the municipal office to meet and talk with him. Rader said he soon plans to have an office somewhere convenient for Chestnuthill, Eldred and Polk residents, probably somewhere along Route 209.