By Geoffrey Wertime, Staff Writer
CHESTERFIELD — The Township Committee has unanimously adopted a flat budget that again uses surplus funds to prevent a tax increase.
“We have a lot of surplus we’re relying on to keep the tax rate flat, so that’s what we did again this year,” said Clerk Bonnie Haines.
The budget of nearly $4.4 million will raise just $325,902 through taxation, for a local purpose tax of 4.1 cents per $100 of assessed home value. For the owner of a house valued at the township average, $452,036, that means a bill of slightly over $185, the same as the last two years.
The township has changed the position of secretary to the Planning Board and Environmental Commission to part time, but Ms. Haines said there will be no changes noticeable to the average resident.
The municipality will make use of nearly half its surplus this year, with $2.5 million going to keep the tax rate stable and another $236,100 going to the elementary school district to keep taxes lower there. That will leave the township with nearly $2.9 million remaining in surplus, a number Ms. Haines said will grow throughout the year.
Earlier this year the township was the hardest hit in the area when the state proposed cutting aid for most local municipalities 20 percent. If the state’s budget passes, the township’s aid will drop from $669,778 in 2009 aid to $512,715 in 2010.
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