“The state of Whitehall Township is a very good one,” Whitehall Township Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr. said at the April 25 Crime Watch meeting.

The mayor presented his seventh State of the Township Address, detailing on the subjects of the township’s growth, future plans, goals and the direction slated for 2016.

“When I came into office in 2008, we were in the midst of the Great Recession, and at no other time since the Great Depression did this township feel the squeeze of reduced revenues (and) demands on services that we had at that time,” Hozza said. “Due to some belt tightening (and) a hiring freeze - we went from 128 employees to 114 employees through the hiring freeze - we were able to weather the storm.”

Hozza related as long as a township’s general fund balance is “healthy,” the township will be financially healthy, too.

“Our debt payment per year is around nine-hundred-some-thousand dollars, and we went into debt years ago for the construction of the public works garage,” Hozza said.

On the plus side, Hozza informed the audience the debt for next year will drop to $250,000 a year.

“So down from $900,000 to a quarter of a million,” Hozza said.

This drop is due to paying off the addition on the municipal building and the police station, done in 1994-95.

With six to seven vacancies in the police department, Hozza said the township is in a “job-hiring frenzy.”

Hozza said a banner has arrived recently from Riley’s Restaurant & Pub, Egypt, in honor and memory of Fire Chief Robert Benner, who died in March.

“It will be put on one of the poles out here (by the municipal building) as you come into the complex,” he said.

A street named after Benner also is in the works.

The township is looking to hire a full-time fire chief and fire marshal, the mayor said.

Micro sealing that was done in the Oakwood Fields area of Fullerton last year will continue this year with more streets added in the township.

“Micro sealing is a method to extend the life of your street,” Hozza said.

This technique extends the duration of a street for about 10 years, longer than a milling and paving job, he added.

On the schedule for Whitehall Township, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. May 21, the township will hold a document shredding, electronic recycling and VIN etching event at the township campus off of MacArthur Road. There are charges to recycle, ranging from $12 to $55.

The second part of the recycling and garbage project takes effect in October of this year. The savings from the new recycling toters will help purchase new garbage carts, the mayor informed.

“Then next year, your garbage bills will go down,” he said.

Chick-fil-A, to be built on MacArthur Road, is moving along, Hozza informed, “despite not seeing any dump trucks or anything.”

Mission BBQ, on Grape Street, already has a building up.

And Lehigh Valley Mall is planning an expansion where Friendly’s and Wendy’s are located.

Before the meeting adjourned, Acting Chief of Police Michael J. Marks introduced himself and extended a warm welcome to Crime Watch meeting attendees. Marks has worked for the township for nearly 18 years. After attending Penn State College and Allentown College, he became a patrol officer, street supervisor, detective and lieutenant of the detective division.

“We have a wonderful group of men and women,” Marks said. “We have a great group of officers (and) a great support staff.”

Crime Watch meetings are held the fourth Monday of each month in the public meeting room of Whitehall Township Municipal Building, 3219 MacArthur Road, Whitehall. Meetings start 7 p.m. and are open to the public.