North Buffalo Township Supervisor Clark Whiteman looks over the shoulder of Supervisor David Wolfe as he discusses the 2018 budget at last night’s public meeting.
NORTH BUFFALO - Supervisors in North Buffalo Township approved the tentative budget for 2018 without the need to raise taxes.
The general fund budget calls for $845,395 in expenses and only an estimated $537,810 in revenue. Supervisors plan to balance the budget with nearly a half million dollars left over from previous years including 2017. Even with doing this, supervisors expect to have just over $200,000 left over by the end of 2018.
Supervisor David Wolfe said the strategy was outlined in a business plan adopted by the Township several years ago. He hopes the result will be a tax reduction to property owners in 2019.
“We’re almost right on the mark for our business plan that we put together for last year. If this continues the way we hope it does for 2018, barring any major catastrophe or something that we weren’t looking for, we are looking at the 2019 budget with the possibility of lowering taxes by a quarter to one-half mill for the township residents,” Wolfe said.
The 2018 budget includes contributions made to six municipalities that provide fire protection to North Buffalo.
“We want to give each municipality that services us (each) $500. They can use it toward the firemen’s workers compensation, or some fire equipment. We really appreciate everything that the fire departments do.”
Wolfe said the supervisors have also approved the large donation to East Franklin Township to assist with the purchase of a drone.
“We think that any tool necessary to help save peoples’ lives, should be utilized. This is not a toy. This has infrared sensing. With that, we are proposing in the new budget to put $4,000 toward East Franklin’s drone. If we needed it over here, they would be using it. So we want to help them. Whatever it takes to save peoples’ lives, whether in our township or another townships, we are all in favor of doing it. And we appreciate everything they do. We appreciate their municipalities for supporting them to come over and help us since we don’t have a fire department.”
The 2018 budget also will include the purchase of a new truck, according to Wolfe.
“What I am going to propose is that we start accepting bids for a seven-and-a-half ton (truck) for a couple of reasons. One, you don’t need a CDL. Two, its bigger than our F-550. We right now use our F-550 for the town route (snow removal). With us adding more roads to the town route, it means we are going to run out of anti-skid and salt around the middle of the Highlands. That means we have to travel the whole way back (to the township building) every day it snows to get more anti-skid and salt mixture. A 7.5-ton will give us all the way past Circle G, which is right off of Freeport Road. So we don’t have dead time during a snow storm.”
Wolfe said he estimates the price of the vehicle with four-wheel drive to be approximately $116,000. The Township intends to pay cash for the vehicle.
Residents are welcome to come to the township office to review the budget. Adoption will take place at the December 20th meeting at 7PM.
$500 x 6 = $3,000. $3000/$845,395 = 0.0035486, or 0.35% of their total budget goes to neighboring communities firefighters to provide North Buffalo Township with fire protection. That’s mighty generous. One third of a percent.
“large donation” to the drone, but no number given. Shouldn’t the junior firefighter, at the controls of the drone, have a fire hose in his hands and help fight the fire?
This man is a scammer - a lifetime scammer. Where are the police in the picture above? There’s no more companies to unionize with the USW, so he infiltrates government for his income. How many people catch on and how many do not?
Take Eljer, for example. He helped Eljer leave town - that is well-known. Take a ride out route 85 past the old Eljer union hall and see whose union sign is now hanging out front.
No tax increase is news? When the tax cut comes to be, that WILL be news.
I do like the fact that he’s thinking of reducing wasted trips for the snow truck - that’s using good thinking. Wearing down the $500,000 surplus (the taxpayers’ money) is good thinking. There has to be a reserve - that makes good management sense - $200,000 should be plenty - $100,000 would be fine.
Maybe they can get the brilliant idea to put up a $200,000 tent and insure it for $9,500 per year to waste the taxpayers’ money? Or, better yet, make a deal with West Franklin Borough to beg into their cozy anti-skid in the tent - Lord knows there’s plenty in there for all of Western Pennsylvania.
Make the deal Dave, make the deal!