Week in Review: Gas Leak, Robbery Investigation and the 'Living Dead' at Hollywood Theater

Week in Review, Jan. 21 to Jan. 25.

Busy week? No downtime? Missed the news? Don't sweat it. Here's a list of this week's top stories from Dormont-Brookline Patch, so you can catch up on the goods. This week on Dormont-Brookline Patch: Residents Evacuated from Apt. Building After Gas Leak Police Investigating CVS Robbery 'Living Dead' to Help Save Hollywood Theater Brookliners Featured in 'Equal Magazine' KOSD Students, Staff Avoid Intense Flu Season Where to Get Taxes Done in Dormont and Brookline? Got your own news to share? Add your organization's events to our Event Calendar. Share your wedding, baby or graduation news in our Announcements section and, while you're at it, upload your photos to our Neighborhood Gallery. We'd love to hear from you! Follow Dormont-Brookline…

• Photos (4)

Where to Get Taxes Done in Dormont and Brookline?

It's tax season, and if you don't do taxes yourself, here are some places that can help out.

One thing is certain this time of year: if you don't already have your W-2 forms, you'll be getting them soon, and that means it's time to start thinking about taxes. Unless you're a tax wiz, or willing and able to figure it out yourself, you're probably going to look for help to make sure your taxes are done right. If you'd rather meet with a person than a software system to get it done, here are some local places that can help: Who did your taxes last year? Any place you would recommend? If we missed anyone on this list—particularly small businesses who provide this service—please share in the comments! Follow Dormont-Brookline Patch on Facebook and Twitter. For more information, sign up for our email Newsletter.

• Photos (1)

Dormont Residents Still Owed CENTAX Refunds

Residents from Dormont and surrounding communities might still be owed refunds and could still be waiting for checks to be cashed, said Dormont's borough manager.

If you’re still having trouble getting that refund or cashing that check through CENTAX, you’re not alone. Central Tax Bureau, which formerly handled earned income tax for Dormont Borough and several surrounding communities, closed suddenly last year and borough manager Jeff Naftal said there still are residents in Dormont and surrounding communities who are owed refunds. Naftal posted this information on the Dormont Borough website recently: “Throughout this summer and the end of the year, we have been responding to residents about problems with CENTAX, Central Tax Bureau and their failure to cash checks or issue refunds for 2011 and prior taxes. As was reported to Council, CENTAX has gone out of business.  Council authorized the Borough'…

• Photos (1)

Allegheny County Council Passes Budget, Reduces Millage Rate

The county's tax rate will be 4.73 mills in 2013.

Allegheny County Council passed a 2013 budget that includes a millage rate decrease. On Tuesday, county officials approved a a $799.4 million budget, reducing the millage rate to 4.73 mills, according to the Tribune Review. The millage was reduced from 2012's rate of 5.69 mills to offset the increase property values stemming from the county's reassessment. Under the reassessment, taxing bodies can't receive more than 5 percent in property tax revenue so as not to use the reassessment as a major tax increase. Under the new tax rate, a resident would pay $473 for every $100,000 of assessed property value. County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said in a statement that he is happy with the approved budget. "(I) am glad that we are able to move into…

• Photos (1)

The Debate Begins: How Did the Candidates Do?

The first debate is over. Take our poll and tell us in comments your thoughts after watching the first face-to-face debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.

In short segments that often exceeded the allocated two-minute time periods, the presidential candidates tackled economics, health care, Social Security, education, the role of goverment and the deficit in a debate that sometimes found them saying the same thing in different ways. In a debate moderated by PBS' Jim Lehrer, both Democratic incumbent President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney talked about domestic issues and how they would tackle them, if elected in November. Obama talked of working to make the middle class stronger, job training through community colleges, keeping tuition low, lowering tax rates especially for manufacturers, boosting American energy production and working to close the deficit. Romney talked…

•  333 Comments
• Photos (3)

Bob Howard

5:43 pm on Wednesday, October 10, 2012

For Erin: Have you read Obamacare? It is not a solution to the problem of the uninsured. After it is fully implemented it is estimated that 20 million and up to 30 million will remain uninsured. If it was really about insuring the uninsured, it could be done for all the uninsured at a fraction of the costs as is currently done with auto insurance. 159 new agencies are being created. Their …   more ›

Letter: Grading the State Budget on Education

A TEACH (Tell Everyone All Cuts Hurt) representative from Steel Valley School District takes a look at the state budget priorities.

Hey, Taxpayer, While you were out trying to avoid heatstroke this summer, your state government actually did something. The Pennsylvania legislature passed another one of those pesky budgets determining exactly what your taxes have bought you this year.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t mind paying taxes if I get a good return on my investment. And what better investment than our children, our future? I’m speaking, of course, about public education. So was this a good return? Let’s see: GOOD NEWS PA. BUDGET PASSED HIGHER THAN GOVERNOR WANTED: Last year, the Legislature cut $818 million from public schools—especially the poorest ones. This year, the Gov. Corbett wanted $94 million in additional cuts, but instead the legislature voted to …

• Photos (1)

IRS: Deadline Extended to April 17

The IRS has a number of improvements to help make this tax season easy.

The Internal Revenue Service opened the 2012 tax filing season by announcing that taxpayers have until April 17 to file their tax returns. The IRS encourages taxpayers to e-file as it is the best way to ensure accurate tax returns and get faster refunds. The IRS also announced a number of improvements to help make this tax season easy for taxpayers. This includes new navigation features and helpful information on IRS.gov and a new pilot to allow taxpayers to use interactive video to get help with tax issues. “At the IRS, we’re working hard to make the process of filing your taxes as quick and easy as possible,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman in a release. “Providing quality service is one of our top priorities. It not only reduces the …

• Videos (1)

Allegheny County Council Hikes Taxes 1 Mill

County Executive-elect Rich Fitzgerald says the increase is needed to support social services during difficult economic times.

Allegheny County Executive-elect Rich Fitzgerald has applauded county council members for their "courageous vote" Tuesday to raise county taxes 1 mill for 2012. According to a story in the Dec. 7 Post-Gazette, council divided 11-4 along party lines to approve the $784 million operating budget and the tax hike to pay for it.  All Democrats voted for the budget and tax bills and all Republicans voted against them. "I know that it was a difficult decision, but I stand with many leaders of our community in commending the members for recognizing that increasing the millage was something that had to be done," Fitzgerald said in a press release. "With Council’s vote, services to the disabled, children and elderly in our community will continue to…

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

Good News for Dormont Taxpayers

No tax increase is proposed for 2012.

Dormont Council voted at its meeting Monday night to advertise an ordinance that will keep the tax rate at 14 mills next year. The millage rate is calculated by multiplying the assessed value of your property by the millage rate, which for Dormont would be .014. One mill equals $1 for each $1,000 of assessed valuation on property. Under that rate, the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 would pay $1,400 in taxes to the borough next year. The vote was 5-0 with council President Kim Lusardi and Councilwoman Joan Hodson absent from the meeting. Council hopes to adopt the ordinance at its Dec. 5 meeting. Mayor Tom Lloyd asked to have the figures for the assessed valuation of the borough as a whole, which is calculated by the county each year…

•  17 Comments
• Photos (1)

State Sen. Wayne D. Fontana

UPMC-Highmark Impasse Prompts Bill Requiring Non- Profits to Pay Taxes on Land

Proposal pushed because of 'non-profits out there with no concern at all about contributing to the common good.'

Tuesday, I announced my intent to introduce legislation that will require non-profits to begin paying taxes on the land value of real property owned by the organization.  It has become very clear, particularly in light of the ongoing dispute between the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Highmark, that there are nonprofits out there with no concern at all about contributing to the common good or lessening the burden on government and taxpayers.  Instead it’s about their bottom line. In fact, UPMC’s president was recently quoted as saying the decision to no longer negotiate was based on the “realities of competition.” If that is indeed the case, why should taxpayers pay more to boost any nonprofit’s bottom line? The legislation …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)