Slippery Rock Council appoints new member, grants hotel tax break
SLIPPERY ROCK — Borough Council voted Tuesday to appoint John Hicks to fill the available seat on council, a two-year term ending in 2024.
Hicks said at a previous meeting that he has been part of the Slippery Rock community for decades, working at both the high school and college. He said he hopes to give back to the community.
“I’m happy to be here,” Hicks said at Tuesday’s meeting.
The seat was open because the winner of the Nov. 2 election moved out of the borough prior to election day but was not removed from the ballot. Council officially declared the seat vacant Jan. 11 and immediately began accepting letters of interest.
Council received seven letters of interest. Those who submitted letters of interest were asked to answer questions submitted by current council members.
Mayor Jondavid Longo thanked Hicks and the other nominee, Kenneth Zawodney Jr., for their interest in being appointed to council.
“It’s not easy to get folks to want to participate in local government,” Longo said. “We could really use your expertise and your insight on a few of these other committees.”
Slippery Rock borough manager Shawn Pugh said Hicks’ application to the position caught the attention of himself and the council members.
“Your (resume) was quite impressive, it was very impressive,” Pugh said.
Neema stipulation
Council also approved a stipulation giving Neema Slippery Rock LP, the owner of the Fairfield Inn in the borough, a three-year reprieve on its property tax. The value of the property will be considered around $3.2 million during this stipulation period, as per the council motion.
Black said the hotel’s owner went through an appeal process at the Butler County Court of Common Pleas to set its property value at a lower rate because travel and hotel revenue has been lower throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, so the value of the business has fallen as well.
Borough solicitor Rebecca Black said the county’s last assessment of the property, at around $7 million, was done in 1969, and Neema got the property appraised as well, showing it is worth around $3.1 million.
The stipulation is a midpoint between Neema’s appraisal and the borough’s appraisal, which came in around $3.4 million according to Black. Black said the money the borough would spend fighting the appeal Neema made to the Court of Common Pleas would be more than the borough would lose simply by making this stipulation.
“The stipulation is a midpoint between their appraisal and our appraisal,” she said. “That would be in place for three tax years. After that, the property value automatically reverts to the $7 million. It’s like giving a reprieve during this uncertain time.”
