Council OKs $40,000 for Main Street and $30,000 for HEDC after brief debate

Hanover Borough Council approved two separate allocation ordinances during its December meeting: Ordinance No. 23‑83, allocating $40,000 to Main Street programming, passed on a roll-call vote reported as 8–2; Ordinance No. 23‑84, allocating $30,000 to the Hanover Economic Development Corporation (HEDC) with staggered $10,000 increments, passed 6–4.

Vice President Kress introduced both measures. A council speaker praised the Main Street staff member’s performance, saying, "This young lady has done an outstanding job this year." Some councilors voted in opposition to one or both measures; the transcript records roll-call tallies but individual vote attributions are recorded in the official minutes.

The HEDC allocation drew a short procedural question about whether to take a separate ordinance vote before council members proceeded with a roll-call. The HEDC allocation includes timeline stipulations (three increments of $10,000) as detailed in the ordinance language. No amendments to either ordinance were recorded in the meeting discussion.

Following the votes, several residents reiterated concerns that borough subsidies should eventually be replaced by self‑sustaining revenue from beneficiaries. Robert Holt said Main Street should “get off the public dole” and become self‑sustaining rather than depend on ongoing borough subsidies.