My impossible dream is to improve the oppressive tax environment. This, however, would require a magic wand as much of our exorbitant spending path is set in stone. If a referendum had been on the ballot, would the community have approved a $27.5 million recreation center palace which forces all residents to subsidize their neighbors' dues? Would a $60 million school renovation project have been put into place? Would the community have supported compensating teachers at the top of the pay scale over $100,000 per annum plus spectacular benefits (an amount which thanks to members of the teachers union has since been scaled back)?

This could be a great community in virtually every respect if the ability for the middle class family to live here within its means had not been yanked away by elected officials that are as reckless and irresponsible as any.

On-street leaf pickup like some of our competing neighboring communities provide, so we do not have to spend time and money bagging leaves or paying someone else to do it! Mulch the leaves and sell it back to the public to help cover the costs. Selling the mulch, along with cost savings from not purchasing leaf bags or fees paid to landscapers, may be a welcome service for our tax-paying residents! Let's put it to a referendum.

Fair assessments for EVERYONE based on recent home sales instead of some people being assessed beneath the property value and new homes taking years to get an assessment that is not based on an empty lot value.

Also, the curbside leaf-sucking truck like Mt Lebo has like Thomas said.

Amen, Deb. This, too, though, is the impossible dream. The county cannot afford to pay the amount that would need to be expended to hire qualified assessors who perform more than three to five minute "drive-by" visits to pick a property value out of the air. To secure accurate assessments would require a professional appraiser that enters the home. Homes which look the same on the outside can be radically different in value. My home has the original kitchen from the time it was built in 1975. Should my property be valued the same as that of neighbors that have spent $50,000 or more to install state of the art kitchens and who have done additional extensive work to improve their properties? On the other hand, is it fair to penalize those that improve their properties with higher assessments and higher taxes? Your call for fair assessments serves to make the perfect argument for scrapping a system which has not and shall never be fair or perceived as fair. Need we examine any further evidence of the need for a more equitable, less agonizing and less expensive revenue-raising mechanism in recalling misstep after misstep associated with the disastrous reassessment in which we continue to be embroiled?

I agree with the other comments but I need to add sidewalks to the list. There are too many areas where it is dangerous to run or walk because of it. It is safer to drive somewhere that has continuous sidewalks than run or walk along the road.

a new, improved, ATTRACTIVE re 19 at fort couch. Ilike st clair. sidewalks - move to LEBO and pay yet higher taxes in a congested area. assessments - dont vote for democrats. its in your hands thru your vote.

happy new year !!

sorry - forgot - attach a mulching blade to your lawnmover. the streets are very slippery with all that leaf debris in LEBO as they do the leaf collection occasionally

M L, yes republicans do such a great job on those issues, lol.
On assessments, you just have to go to the assessment website and compare selling price to assessments, and look at some that build a million-dollar home and pay tax on land value for 5 years. This isn't rocket science folks. I know people aren't going to say, "hey, I'm under assessed" but there has to be some way to fix the most obvious errors. Like the township going to the county as they have done in some cases. It may be worth paying someone in the township to just follow up on sales price vs. assessed value. The lost revenues on that have to be worth it, and the fairness issue is also important. I certainly don't mind paying my fair share, but "fair" is the key.

I would like to see the rec ccenter open earlier on Sunday's and holidays. If they want shorter hours on those days open earlier and close earlier. It is a absolute mob scene there on Sundays, Christmas eve and New Years eve.

Gee dont these employees deserve a day or a least a little personal time.
perhaps substitute this indorr xercise with a trail walk
food for thought

-Move those mailboxes back that hang over the road. This would save a lot of side mirror repairs and you don’t have to veer into the oncoming lane just to avoid hitting someone’s mailbox. The Township code states that the mail receptacles must hang behind the curb.
-Move or maintain bushes so you can actually see if a car is coming when you cross or turn at an intersection; or put smart traffic lights at these intersections. The intersection of Seeger and McMillan Roads has over a dozen accidents each year. G-d forbid we should wait until someone dies before something is done!

Fiscal responsibility and social acceptance. Is that too much to ask for?

Have the Community and Recreation Center fees reduced downward so that membership is affordable for all Upper St. Clair residents! After all, they are paying for this Taj Mahal!

If sidewalks everywhere are an impossible dream, having more bus stops shouldn't be, and having lots of bus stops should be considered an inevitability for a township that thought nothing of sidewalks when it was being built. Our bus stop isn't visible from our home and is actually quite a walk - the stops before and after our house are nearly a quarter mile apart, and we're right in the middle. The school transportation department rejected our request to add a stop even though 3 kids (2 of our own and 1 neighbor) would benefit AND the bus already arrives no later than 2 minutes early every morning (almost always 3-4 minutes early).

USC love it or leave it! It always amuses me that some people move here and then want to change everything and others have been here for years and are always so critical of it.

I am with "USC for me". drive to other areas such as the Mon Valley - very sad.
One of our neighboring communities allows shacks and doublewides next to gorgeous homes - ugh!! if USC isnt for you, time to move. Then you can sit and wait for the snow plows or no snow plows,, no policeor state police due to no low tax revenue.
USC is the best

Lynn, just as there are kind and friendly people living in less affluent communities, so are there kind and friendly people in USC. Gross generalizations are wrong in either case. Just sayin'...

lynne
my reply was to a USC whiner resident. just saying - USC ordinances are set in place for a reason. there are wonderful residents in USC with friends in adjoining communities and vice versa. remember, lynne - its a lifestyle choice. we are in allegh county where location,location location dictates sale of house and value. we pay big time for location and convenience. IT IS A LIFESTYLE and SCHOOL DISTRICT CHOICE. Thanks for your consideration

Women on the police force.

I would have to say that moving the mailboxes back from the road would be a great improvement. Look at how many times they are damaged if not destroyed. Especially when the snowplows come through trying to clear the roads. Granted the guys who drive the snow trucks do everything possible to miss those mailboxes, sometimes it is almost impossible to. Not only is it the guys who hit them with the trucks, but sometimes you have the slush and sludge that hit them and knock them over.

My other suggestion is that our police force really needs to have a range of different natonalities and sexes on the force. After all we say that everyone is equal and should be treated the same. How does that happen when it appears there is only a one way road it seems like in who they hire. Just a suggestion!!!!

Left turn signal and left lane from mcmillan to McLaughlin run road
It is difficult in rush hours
And
Left turning separate lane from McLaughlin run to morrow road