Supervisors OK slight tax increase
The Exeter Township supervisors approved an amended, $12.3 million 2022 budget that includes a 0.10 mill increase to the total tax rate.
The original 2022 budget was formulated by a board whose members have largely left their positions. Previous board members David Speece and Joseph Staub resigned last fall.
Via board vote, Staub was replaced by Carl Staples and Speece by George Bell in September and November, respectively.
The board then reluctantly approved a $12.6 million 2022 budget in December, noting that changes would likely be needed to balance an $800,000 budget shortfall without overly depleting the reserve fund.
The budget was reopened in January after newly elected Supervisors David Hughes and Diana Reeser took their seats.
To level out the shortfall, the board agreed to about $270,000 in budget cuts.
In addition, the amended budget raises the real estate tax by 0.25 mills to 2.395 mills, decreases the debt service tax by 0.25 mills to 0.47 mills, and increases the fire tax by 0.10 to 0.705 mills. The total tax rate is 3.57 mills.
The result is a total tax increase of 0.10 mills, or an additional $10 for a property valued at $100,000.
The budget also includes a repeal of homestead and farmstead tax exclusions that allowed qualified property owners to exclude $50,000 of assessed value from their annual real estate tax bill, and an increase in the annual recycling fee to $70 from $35.
The amended budget is estimated to generate a roughly $17,000 surplus for the township.
Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve the new budget, with Hughes voting against it. Hughes said he still didn’t approve of using $175,000 in reserve funds to balance expenses.
In other business, supervisors
• Approved canceling an agreement with Morningstar Golf and Hospitality LLC, Branchburg, N.J., to manage dining operations at the Reading Country Club. The township hired Morningstar last October. Officials said Exeter will seek new bidders to handle the club’s dining and golf operations.
• Accepted the resignation of assistant township secretary Tina Stephens.