Limerick Township 2012 Budget Includes Tax Increase

The Board of Supervisors reviewed its 2012 budget at Tuesday evening's meeting. The budget will include a tax increase and a sewer rate increase. A motion was passed, 3-1, to advertise the budget.

The increase will raise the millage rate around 20-percent, from 1.213 to 1.516 mills. On a home assessed at the township's median value of $145,000, that rate will increase from about $176 per year to $220 per year.

Township manager Daniel Kerr pointed out that the current rate of 1.213 mills is the 12th-lowest tax rate in the county (of 62 municipalities). The new 1.516 mills rate will give Limerick the eighteenth lowest rate.

The tax increase is necessary to reduce a budget deficit of $1,026,521 for next year. It will reduce that deficit to approximately $611,000.

In the past two years, the township has been able to address the poor economy without a tax increase. It has used reserve funds to cover budget deficits, but will not be able to do that in 2012, Kerr said.

"If we continue to use reserve funds [to make up deficits], it will affect our AA+ credit rating," Kerr said.

However, Kerr said, the township does not want to reduce any necessary services such as public works or police department services.

"A downgrade in services negatively affects everyone," Kerr said.

The sewer rate will also increase by four perecent next year in order to help fund the capital fund for sewer infrastructure.

Supervisor Kenneth Sperring was the lone nay vote on the advertisement motion, with supervisors Kara Shuler, and Elaine DeWan voting in the affirmative. Board chairman Thomas Neafcy was absent from the meeting.

The budget will be advertised publicly for 30 days, will be discussed at the next two board meetings and voted on at the Dec. 20 meeting.

Sperring said after the meeting, he would have cut other items before raising taxes.

"Without getting into specifics, I just have a different philosophy," Sperring said. "This board works really well together and sometimes we just agree to disagree on things."

Local business owner Gail Wellington spoke up during public comment and thanked the board for its hard work.

"No one likes to hear you're going to raise taxes, but I think you've worked hard on this," Weillington said.

In other business, the board voted to advertise two ordinance changes, one for the subdivision and land development ordinance and one for the zoning ordinance, and will also be advertising plans regarding improvements to Lewis Road.

The board also heard from Joshua Desmond, representing local airport Heritage Field. Heritage Field was seeking advice on whether it would be granted permission to place an electronic billboard on its property along Route 422.

The board was uniformly opposed to the idea of a billboard in the township.

DeWan said that for her, it's a safety issue, while St. Pedro is opposed because the billboard could be distracting.

"It kills me to say no because it's a big revenue for you," St. Pedro said. "We don't want the township looking like Vegas. We say yes to you, we'd have to say yes to everyone."