Sustainability Incentives: January Update
The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (Section 25C) had expired at the end of 2021, but the Inflation Reduction Act reintroduced the credit retroactively for tax year 2022. For energy efficiency improvements completed from 2023 through 2032, the credit amount is higher than it was in the past and the scope of qualifying expenses eligible for the credit is expanded. Taxpayers typically claim expenses for the credit in the year in which they install the property in their homes. Qualifying expenses include home energy audits, improvements to heating, cooling, water-heating equipment, building insulation, and exterior doors and windows. For more information, Click Here or speak to a tax professional.
 All are welcome to attend an open house on January 4, 2023 between 6:00pm-7:30pm. Stop in anytime during those hours to view information, ask questions one on one with our planning staff and redistricting consultant, Amanda Holt.
Holiday Refuse and Recycling Collection
A refuse and recycling holiday collection schedule will be in effect for January 2nd - 6th, due to the New Years Day holiday. There will be no refuse or recycling collection on Monday, January 2nd.
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A refuse and recycling holiday collection schedule will be in effect for January 16th-20th, due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. There will be no refuse or recycling collection on Monday, January 16th.
Please click the blue button below to find your holiday collection day.
2023 Township Business Tax Information
All businesses operating in the Township must apply for and maintain a current Township business license/registration. The annual fee for the business license is $20. The license renewal invoices were mailed in December and payment is due by February 15, 2023. The Township passed an ordinance which establishes a penalty provision for unpaid business licenses. If no license payment is received, you will receive a delinquent notice in summer 2023. If no payment is received 60 days after the delinquent notice is issued, then a $30 penalty per license year outstanding will be applied. The Township will also no longer be able to issue license certificates to any business that is not in good standing in its Township business tax filings.
All 2022 business tax forms and Local Services Tax (LST) forms will be mailed and emailed to applicable accounts in mid-January. In addition, the 4th quarter LST returns are due by February 1, 2023.
If you need to register your business with the Township or find tax forms and more information about Township business taxes, please visit the Township website www.lowermerion.org. From the home page click on Search in the top-right corner, then select the recommended search for Business Taxes & License to be taken to the correct page.
The Township can now deliver tax forms and other mass mailings to business owners via email. If you would like to receive your forms electronically, please email businesstax@lowermerion.org to update the email address on your account.
Lower Merion School District Full-Day Kindergarten Survey
The Lower Merion School District is exploring the implementation of universal full-day kindergarten. As part of this exploration, the District Administration is conducting internal reviews of facilities, staffing needs and other resources. The District has also contracted with the Montgomery County Planning Commission for enrollment projection studies.
To further the exploration, community feedback is vital. To that end, the District is issuing a survey developed with collaboration from the kindergarten advisory committee to gage projected enrollment, parent/guardian interest and community support of full-day kindergarten.
All residents of Lower Merion Township and Narberth Borough are encouraged to participate in the study and to share it with their neighbors to help capture a maximum number of respondents from our tax-paying community. This includes:
◼ Parents/guardians with children younger than kindergarten age
◼ Parents/guardians with pre-school and school-aged children
◼ Parents/guardians of school-aged children
◼ Parents/guardians of children older than grade 12
◼ Community members with no children
Please click here to complete the survey online. Paper versions of the survey are available at the District Administration Building at 301 E. Montgomery Avenue in Ardmore.
If you have questions about the survey or how to access it, please email: Dr. Alexis McGloin, Assistant Superintendent, at mcgloia@lmsd.org.
Winter Tip from the EAC
As we approach snow and ice season, take some time to think about the impacts that our uses of salt and other similar deicing products can have on our local ecosystems. We all have needs for clearing snow and ice in the winter, and obviously there are significant safety reasons for salting our public roads. But what happens when the salt does its job? Dissolved salts are carried away in meltwaters as runoff, and lead to measurable increases of salinity in local groundwater and our freshwater creeks and streams. The added salinity can severely harm native vegetation and aquatic life, as well as impact downstream sources of drinking water outside of Lower Merion.
What can we as residents and business owners do to limit the adverse environmental effects of salt? Here are a few tips:
- Think about whether it’s really necessary to apply salt at all, or whether the affected surface can be easily shoveled or plowed.
- For many snowfalls, a thorough shoveling will eliminate most slipping hazards.
- Electric snow blowers or electric heated snow mats may be options as well. (Go electric – using a gas-powered snow blower for an hour can create the same amount of emissions as driving a gas-powered car from Lower Merion to Pittsburgh!)
- Remember, most salt is ineffective when temperatures are below 20 degrees, or if under more than 3 inches of snow.
- If you do apply salt, be judicious in how much you use and where you place it. And keep in mind that undissolved salt can be swept up and reused!
Please pitch in this winter to limit your own use of road salt where possible on your property. Reductions by individual users can add up to a significant overall reduction throughout the Township!
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