November Meeting:
The big item is the budget:
The budget in a nutshell: No tax cut is in the proposed budget.
The board had hoped to cut taxes, and we still could have a tax cut if we cut the Park & Rec budget by the amount proposed in August.
A quick view of the budget is that (compared to 2006) The emergency fund, and Park and Recreation have been reduced to accommodate a large increase in the Fire Company donation and smaller increases in recycling, police etc.
Reasons the August tax cut proposal did not work out:
Recycling came in with a greater increase than planned in the August workshop.
The police pension contribution will be greater than anticipated in the August workshop. There is an unexpected profit in the police pension, and the supervisors thought this would reduce the 2007 pension contribution, but we are told that this will not be realized until the next actuarial evaluation of the pension. The tax payers will benefit from this, but not in 2007 they way the supervisors thought.
The fire company revealed a greater financial need. The township contribution for fire protection is projected to go from $35,000 to $85,000. This is the chief contributor the elimination of the tax cut, however, fire protection is important. It is a good use of our tax money, and our volunteer fire is the best value we get at the local government level. This increase will not cover their 2007 needs. They are still volunteers. You still need to participate in the fund raisers.
The park and Recreation budget was cut by ½ the amount proposed in August. The increases listed above were funded with the Park and Rec reduction, and a reduction in the amount slated to go into the emergency fund.
I still have copies of the Fredrick Bastiat book “The Law” available to Maidencreek residents. Email me if you want one.
Paid for by Roy Timpe