No One Speaks at Budget Hearing

The Township Council held a public hearing on its proposed Monday with no members of the public asking to speak about it.

The $55.865 million municipal spending plan calls for an 4.3 percent decrease in municipal taxes. The budget calls for a municipal tax rate of $1.806 per $100 of assessed valuation. Under that rate, the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 can expect to pay $1,806 in municipal taxes, down from $1,843 paid by the average homeowner last year.

The budget will be officially adopted in June once the state approves it's budget and financial aid numbers are finalized.

The budget is $547,078 less than last year’s $56.412 million spending plan, with the biggest cut in spending coming in salaries and wages, down by $663,136 to $19.704 million. Finance Department Head Lou Neely said that while the number of township employees has only dropped by two, 253 in 2012 from 255 in 2011, there have been several retirements, with replacement employees coming in at a lower salary.

The 2012 budget calls for $35.008 million to be raised in taxes, $1.209 million less than 2011. The township also will see a $646,331 increase in miscellaneous revenues—$16.985 million from $16.339 million—which includes things such as recreation fees, police sign fees, fees for sports programs and more.