Council introduces a $44.1 million spending plan.
By: Joseph Harvie
The Township Council introduced a $44.1 million budget Tuesday that carries a 14.9 percent increase in taxes.
The budget carries a 7cent municipal tax rate increase, from 47 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to 54 cents. If approved, the owner of a house assessed at the township average of $188,600 would pay $1,018.44 in municipal taxes, up $132.02.
The council will hold a public hearing on the budget at 7:30 p.m. May 24.
A month of Saturday budget workshops also will be held in the main meeting room of the Municipal Building. All the meetings will be at 9 a.m. except for Saturday’s, which will begin at 1 p.m.
The council will discuss municipal operations Saturday, utilities on April 23, the library on April 30 and capital improvements on May 6.
According to the proposed budget, there could be a $5.25 million increase in debt payments to $7.49 million, about 70 percent of the total proposed increase in spending. Part of the increase is the first payment on a $4.2 million debt restructuring plan approved by the council in 2004.