2018 budget passes
Taxes level; board also OKs transfer to reserves, opposition to wireless bill, casino plans
The 2018 budget for Upper Gwynedd Township is now on the books, and looks very similar to those of prior years.
“I’m very honored and proud to say that there will be no tax increase for the year 2018,” said commissioners’ President Ken Kroberger.
Starting in November, the commissioners and staff have shaped that budget, which produces a total of roughly $13.1 million in general fund expenses and revenues including interfund transfers. Of that total, roughly $5.5 million will go to police, fire and code expenses, with an additional $4.6 million going to public works and parks and recreation expenses, and the rest spread between administration, debt service and transfers between various funds.
Total general fund taxes will remain at the level of 1.874 mills last changed in 2014, with the fire tax millage set at 0.139 mills after an increase in 2016 for 2017. The township’s homestead exemption will remain at $30,000, which residents can deduct from their property values before calculating local taxes.
“This is a result of a lot of hard work and effort, that was put on by Len and Dave and Mike, and all of the department heads,” Kroberger said, crediting outgoing Township Manager Len Perrone, Finance Director Dave Brill and Assistant Manager Mike Lapinski.
In addition to the $13.1 million in general fund revenues and expenses, the budget also includes roughly $7.2 million in expenses and revenues for the township’s sewer fund, and an additional $720,000 in state liquid fuel grant money, which is raised from fuel taxes and distributed based on road mileage and meant for local road repairs and upgrades.
“We’re in good stead, financially, in the township. A lot of people have to be thanked for maintaining this level of service, at a cost where we don’t have to increase any of the tax rates for the residents,” Kroberger said.
The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the 2018 budget and the accompanying ordinance maintaining level tax rates, and also unanimously approved a separate motion that will provide a larger than expected boost to one reserve fund.
“When we put our budget together and advertised it, after the fact, we did receive a good amount of money that came in relative to a real estate transfer that took place,” Kroberger said.
“As a result of that, we looked at what our capital reserves were, and we decided we needed to bolster that to some degree,” he said.
The additional revenue from the transfer totalled roughly $306,000, according to Kroberger, and the board decided to take $200,000 of that amount and transfer it to the township’s capital reserve fund. That $200,000 amount is based on funding a 20-year vehicle and equipment
spending plan that was completed in 2016, and planned capital expenses in 2018 include new public works and parks department pickup trucks, two new police vehicles, and a roof replacement project.
“The capital reserve line item basically deals with monies that are set aside to take care of any major equipment expenses we might have, and also when we look at everything and look at the life expectancy, and budget monies to take care of those issues down the road,” Kroberger said.
Several other items were also approved unanimously by the board Monday night, including two motions voicing the board’s positions on topics currently being discussed at the state level. The board voted to oppose the proposed House Bill 1620, which would restrict the township’s ability to limit wireless communication companies seeking to place new facilities.
“This has to do with these companies wanting to come along, and just put a little antenna on any pole in the township, to provide their services, and trying to eliminate our ability to govern how they go about that,” Kroberger said.
The board voted unanimously
to oppose the bill, and also unanimously voted to put on the record members’ thoughts on another recent bill, Act 42 of 2017, which authorizes 10 new casinos to be located in Pennsylvania, and gives municipalities a chance to oppose them.
“They’re only allowing 10 (casinos) throughout the whole state, and we have to take a position by the end of this month, if we don’t want them,” said Commissioner Jim Santi.
Santi and Township Solicitor David Onorato said opposition could be rescinded at a later time if an applicant makes a compelling case.
“I’m familiar with another location that has a fullfledged casino, and they’ve eliminated their taxes. So it would be nice if we were able to do something like that in Upper Gwynedd, although I doubt it” will happen, Santi said.
The Upper Gwynedd Board of Commissioners next meet at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 2, and their next work session is scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 16, both at the township administration building, 1 Parkside Place. For more information or meeting agendas and materials visit www.UpperGwynedd.org