HARRISBURG, April 4 – As an advocate for customer protections in Pennsylvania, state Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery), announced today he has introduced legislation (H.B. 2186) that would help people avoid falling victim to gift card scams. Read more
film production tax credit Read more
Staff from Ciresi’s office will be processing applications for SEPTA Senior Key cards, checking to see if individuals have unclaimed property, and helping complete unclaimed property claim forms. Read more
Fall 2022 Newsletter Read more
HARRISBURG, Sept. 20 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi announced today that he secured $437,500 in state grants that will be used for ADA accessibility and safety improvements at Chestnut Street Park in Royersford, upgrades to Pottstown’s Chestnut Street and South Street parks, and repairs to a collapsed stormwater arch in Pottstown. “This funding will help improve quality of life in our district by making our neighborhood parks more modern and accessible,” Ciresi said. “The improvements that this funding will make possible will help boost property values in our district, making our communities highly desirable places in which to reside and so increase the economic power of our municipalities.” The state funds have been granted to the following projects: $140,000 to repair and reroute a stormwater arch collapse under a commercial building at 1200 High St., the former Pottstown Hospital building that has been repurposed into office space. $125,000 to improve safety and reduce stormwater issues by replacing one play structure at South Street Park and two play structures at Chestnut Street Park with accessible play sets. Funds will also be used to correct stormwater issues. Site amenities at the parks will be expanded to include benches and trash and recycling receptacles, while Chestnut Street Park will have its play area expanded and have a new walking path installed. Read more
TRAPPE, Sept. 9 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi introduced a package of bills today to help make hybrid and electric vehicles more accessible and affordable to more Pennsylvanians. At a time when more Americans are citing gas prices as a reason that they are considering purchasing hybrid or electric vehicles, Ciresi said his bills would help target the cost barriers that prevent broader adoption of fuel-efficient vehicles. The five-bill package would: Create an Alternative Fuel Vehicle Purchase Rebate Program to provide residents of Pennsylvania with rebates for the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles. This rebate of 6% of the vehicle’s total purchase price would effectively refund the state sales tax, up to a maximum rebate amount of $3,000. Make the state’s Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebate Program permanent, double rebate amounts offered under the Program, and add hybrid vehicles as an eligible vehicle type. Help residents with the one-time costs of electric vehicle charger installation, expanding access by reducing a barrier to at-home charging, by establishing an Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Tax Credit. This tax credit would be up to $750 for the installation of a Level 1 charging port and $4,000 for the installation of a Level 2 charging port. Establish a five-year Green Vehicle Pilot Program. Applicants who own green vehicles, which include electric and hybrid vehicles, would receive an EZ-Pass account credit from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Read more
Find out what your friends and neighbors had to say about the issues that matter here in Montgomery County. Read more
POTTSTOWN, Sept. 6 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi today announced an investment of nearly $800,000 in state funding from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to create new recreational opportunities, conserve natural resources and invest in local communities. The money is part of a $90 million grant round that is the largest single investment in Pennsylvania recreation and conservation in agency history , surpassing the previous record of $70 million in 2021. Under the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf, DCNR has awarded more than $430 million in grants to more than 2,300 projects across the commonwealth. The local projects awarded are: Pottstown Borough – $85,200 – Rehabilitation and further development of Chestnut Street Park and South Street Park. Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Committee – $100,000 – Funding for the 2023 Pottstown Regional Park improvement mini-grant program, which helps municipal park improvements in the Pottstown area. Royersford Borough – $172,500 – Rehabilitation of Chestnut Street Park. Trappe Borough – $369,500 – Expansion of Trappe Borough Hall Park to include a rain garden and stormwater playground. “ These neighborhood parks are an important asset for the local community, and the redevelopment projects will greatly improve their potential in serving the outdoor recreation needs of residents,” said Ciresi, Read more
POTTSTOWN, Aug. 29 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, and Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier showcased the strength of and opportunities for development in western Montgomery County businesses and industries, through roundtable discussions and visits to local businesses in Limerick and Pottstown on Thursday. “I want to thank Secretary Berrier for coming to our district to meet with the men and women whose businesses and factories are the engine of Montgomery County’s economic power,” Ciresi said. “I am especially appreciative of her discussions on how the commonwealth can best support workforce development and industry expansion in the 146 th Legislative District. State support of local industries is the key to helping business owners thrive by providing critical resources, training a highly skilled workforce to succeed in profitable industries, and support economic growth in Pennsylvania.” Berrier’s tour began with a roundtable discussion with multi-generational business owners in the Pottstown-Collegeville area. She outlined how the Department of Labor & Industry can support local businesses by connecting them with job applicants and supporting workforce development, such as through PA CareerLink and apprenticeship programs. Roundtable participants included Tom and Jane Perkins, owners, TP Trailers; Paul Sawchuck, owner, Sawchuck’s Garage; Rick Wojton, Read more
POTTSTOWN, Aug. 25 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, today congratulated the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Montgomery for its state award of $467,636 to clean up the former Pottstown Plating Works property. The funds will go toward remediating the former manufacturing site, which has remained vacant since 2009. The redeveloped property, once finished, will be able to house light manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, and general small businesses. “For Pottstown to reach its full economic potential of providing jobs and family-sustaining wages to its residents, we must look for new ways to creatively re-use our legacy industrial buildings,” Ciresi said. “The new owners of Pottstown Plating Works have a solid plan for bringing this building back to productive use.” The redeveloped site will provide additional tax revenue for the borough and create jobs. According to records, the property’s former owner was delinquent in taxes and fees. As a result, the Borough of Pottstown, Pottstown School District and the county were receiving no property tax or other revenue from the property. The current owner has paid the school district, borough and county taxes since taking possession of the property, which were over $1 million. The payments are the first payments this property has produced in more than 10 years. Specifically, the funds will be used for site remediation activities, including capping a Read more
HARRISBURG, Aug. 24 – State Reps. Joe Ciresi and Joe Webster, both D-Montgomery County, have introduced legislation to rename a portion of State Route 4031 in Trappe Borough in honor of Branden T. Sisca, a Trappe resident and one of two troopers struck and killed by a drunk driver earlier this year. House Bill 2786 would designate part of the route – also known as Main Street – as the Trooper Branden T. Sisca Memorial Highway. Sisca, 29, and another trooper, Martin F. Mack III, were on duty when they were struck and killed by a drunk driver along a section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia. Trooper Sisca served on the Pennsylvania State Police for 13 months. The governor ordered all flags flown at half-staff in honor of both Sisca and Mack. “The death of State Trooper Branden T. Sisca was a terrible loss for the Trappe community and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Ciresi said. “As both a volunteer firefighter and a state trooper, Trooper Sisca dedicated his life to protecting Pennsylvanians, some he had known all his life, others strangers. To both, his commitment was total. We’ve chosen to rename the section of Main Street after him because it would be close to the Trappe Fire Company where he volunteered for close to half of his life, and this designation would serve as a reminder of his selfless service and sacrifice.” Born in Norristown on June 23, 1992, State Trooper Sisca and his family were residents of Read more
]Veterans Discount ID Card & Homeowner FraudSleuth Sign-Up Event Read more
Unclaimed Property & SEPTA Senior Key Card Sign-Up Event Read more
Free Electronics Recycling Event Read more
Paper Shredding & Electronics Recycling Event Read more
Telephone Town Hall Read more
HARRISBURG, June 14 – Legislation authored by state Reps. Joe Ciresi and R. Lee James to create a direct path for dance teacher certification, H.B. 2678, was included in the 2022-23 state budget. Due to Ciresi and James’ legislative push, the Public School Code now includes a provision directing the Pennsylvania Department of Education to develop an instructional certificate in pre-K through grade 12 dance, with exceptions for current dance teachers and those in the process of obtaining a dance teaching certificate. “I am proud that this year’s budget has incorporated Representative James’ and my legislation to create a direct path for dance certification,” said Ciresi, D-Montgomery. “Our legislation sought to improve Pennsylvania’s dance programs by requiring discipline-specific education in dance for new teachers. Now, there will be a clear path to certification for dance teachers, which will improve the quality of Pennsylvania’s dance programs, benefitting the thousands of Pennsylvania students in K-12 schools.” Previously, Pennsylvania dance teachers could not be directly certified in dance and, instead, were certified in communications or physical or vocational education. According to the legislators, the certification process had a negative impact on dance teacher preparedness, continuing education and Pennsylvania school districts’ dance programs. “We had introduced this Read more
HARRISBURG, July 13 – The co-chairs of the bipartisan Film Industry Caucus, state Reps. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, and K.C. Tomlinson, R-Bucks, highlighted the successful increase of the cap for the film production tax credit to $100 million in the 2022-23 budget. “Last year, Rep. Tomlinson and I introduced HB 1432 to expand the film production tax credit’s cap because Pennsylvania was losing out on film productions to other states due to our program’s limitations,” Ciresi said “Thanks to our legislative push, the budget increased the cap from $70 million to $100 million, making Pennsylvania a more attractive place for television productions in which to film. Fostering the film industry in Pennsylvania will have a tremendous positive economic impact on the commonwealth through job creation and by generating economic activity in host communities, bringing local and state benefits.” According to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s 2019-20 Film Production Tax Credit Program Report, since the program’s inception in 2007 through the end of FY 2019-20, approximately 860 applicants have applied to the program and 509 productions have been approved/awarded tax credits. These film productions have directly injected nearly $3.3 billion into the state’s economy; generated an estimated $5.2 billion in total economic activity and $785 million in total state and local taxes; and supported an Read more
HARRISBURG, July 7 – Having voted in favor of a state budget bill this evening, state Rep. Joe Ciresi said that it earned his vote because of new robust investments in education, mental health care and property tax relief. Pennsylvania’s 2022-23 budget as proposed in S.B. 1100 also sets out to reduce the Corporate Net Income Tax rate and funds area schools at record levels, helping address systematic underfunding, supporting expanded programming, and allowing for property tax relief. Ciresi, D-Montgomery, said, “Pennsylvania took a big step forward today with major investments in our communities that we can be proud of. This product of bipartisan negotiations delivers help for our underfunded schools, relief for our property taxpayers, and investments in boosting our economy and creating high-quality jobs for years, paying dividends for many years to come.” Locally, the budget increases funding for Montgomery County school districts, including $7.5 million in increased funding for school districts in the 146th Legislative District: Pottstown School District: $3,899,078 . Spring-Ford Area School District: $1,843,226 . Pottsgrove School District: $848,859 . Perkiomen Valley School District: $902,489 . “By expanding ‘Level Up’ funding and adding on substantial funding Read more
HARRISBURG, June 30 – To address the impact of rising inflation and high property taxes, state Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, today introduced legislation (H.B. 2721) that would significantly expand the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, which provides relief to certain financially vulnerable Pennsylvanians, including seniors. “Pennsylvania residents are struggling to afford basic necessities, including housing, due to rising inflation,” Ciresi said. “While inflation has risen, the Property Tax Rent Rebate Program’s stagnant income limits have prevented increasing numbers of individuals from accessing this critical lifeline. My legislation will update income requirements and other provisions of the PTRR so more individuals in need can receive assistance and property tax relief from this vital program.” The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians 65 or older, widows or widowers 50 or older, and people with disabilities 18 and older. The current income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters. Half of Social Security income is excluded. The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975. Ciresi’s legislation would expand PTRR by: Increasing income limits for homeowners and renters to $50,000 and $25,000, respectively, recognizing the impact inflation has had since the last increase in 2008. Permanently reinstating a Read more
HARRISBURG, June 29 – To provide immediate relief to Pennsylvania’s motor vehicle drivers from high gas prices, state Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, believes that legislation to support a freeze on the gas tax for the rest of the year should be included in the 2022-23 state budget given the current budgetary surplus. “Inflationary gas prices are hitting Pennsylvanians hard, with many people struggling to pay for the gas needed so they can go about their lives, like commuting to work, picking their kids up from school, and going grocery shopping,” Ciresi said. “I am advocating that the two bills I am co-sponsoring that would support a freeze on the gas tax should be included in this year’s state budget to provide immediate financial relief to Pennsylvanians. With our significant budget surplus this year, we have a unique opportunity to use it to make sure there’s no negative impact on transportation funding.” House Bill 2453 , the Gas Tax Holiday bill, would provide a six-month pause on the state gas tax. House Bill 2506 would suspend the state’s gasoline and diesel tax until the end of 2022. Both bills are before the House Transportation Committee. “It’s time to take action on behalf of working Pennsylvanians and move these crucial bills out of the Transportation Committee and into the state budget,” Ciresi said. “This budget surplus is precisely meant to be used to lessen the Read more
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