The Old Lycoming Township supervisors Wednesday unveiled a proposed budget for 2012 that contains no tax increase.
The township real estate tax rate will remain at 4.341 mills, of which 0.628 mills is dedicated to the township fire department.
One mill equals $1 in taxes for every $1,000 in assessed property value. At the township's real estate tax rate, a property assessed at $100,000 would be billed $434 in taxes.
The budget is on display at the township office. A vote is slated for Dec. 13.
The budget anticipates almost $2.9 million in revenue and expenses, which is slightly more than $200,000 more than the 2011 budget.
Expected revenue for the general fund budget includes slightly more than $1 million in real estate taxes, $22,000 in occupation taxes, $600,000 in per capita, real estate transfer, earned income, mercantile and business privilege taxes, $56,000 in fines, $183,000 in state funds, $82,000 in local government funds, and $277,000 in fund balances.
Big ticket expenses
Big ticket expenses include $204,000 for operating expenses for the township office, $170,000 for buildings upkeep, maintenance and utilities costs, $62,000 for zoning, $598,000 for public works $837,000 for police and $213,000 for fire.
Some police and fire expenses are offset by local, state and federal revenues because of work associated with programs such as the county DUI Task Force, and other law enforcement and safety initiatives. For example, more than $82,000 is paid to the township by other municipalities that use the township for police and fire protection.
The budget also contains a special light fund with revenues and expenses set at about $34,000. The light fund is a maintenance fund paid for with taxes from anyone living within 250 feet of a streetlight.
Attending the meeting were Jeff and Cindy Dawson, of Dudek Road. The Dawsons said they were concerned with the condition of the road and expressed frustration that previous complaints to the supervisors resulted in little or no attempts to fix the problems.
Jeff Dawson said drainage problems with the road causes water to enter and damage his garage. He tried to alleviate the problem with sand bags and by installing a drainage system in front of the garage.
No longer feasible
He said it no longer is financially feasible to keep trying to find solutions. In addition to the drainage problems, the road, which is unpaved, is in very poor condition, as is a cement culvert bridge on the road.
The road is eroded and covered with deep pot holes and the bridge "is in horrible shape," he said.
Dawson asked why the road has been in such poor condition for so long, and said other roads in the township have been fixed while Dudek Road seems to have been ignored.
Dawson said a township work crew recently cleared debris out of a drainage pipe on the road, but left the debris in a pile on the road.
Supervisor John Eck said the township is receiving a smaller percentage of state liquid fuels funds, which are moneys acquired through a tax on gasoline. Eck said he did not want to tar and chip the road because that "does not hold up."
The solution to the problem with the road would be to pave it, he said. However the cost of asphalt has tripled in recent years, he said.
His goal since becoming supervisor 10 years ago was to see that the township's more than 10 miles of dirt roads get paved. About 2.5 miles remain, he said.
Eck said the road could be graded, which would provide a temporary solution to the problem.
Eck apologized for the work crew leaving debris on the road, said he did not know why they did that, but said they have been extremely busy with multiple projects.
Dawson said the crew had the equipment on hand and could easily have removed the debris from the road.
Cindy Dawson said she planned to file a Freedom of Information Act request for information on township road maintenance projects over the last five years, what funds have been earmarked for road maintenance and how those funds are spent.
