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On Thanksgiving Eve, the Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 to advertise its 2021 budget that if adopted would boost the real estate property tax rate by 5.9 mills, or 133 percent.
The $13.375 million preliminary budget reflects a roughly $2.2 million increase in spending over 2020, including the hiring of three new full time police officers, an assistant manager and a code enforcement officer.
The spending plan also allocates $350,000 for road repaving and includes salary increases for the manager and police chief and funding for a renovation study of the police department building.
The budget also funds a number of capital purchases including three new vehicles, four portable radios, seven ballistic vests and 12 tasers for the police department; an International Dump Truck, a Ford F-350 utility vehicle and a zero turn and a walk behind mower for public works; and various technology upgrades for the administrative offices.
The budget would boost the property tax rate by 5.9 mills, from 4.5 to 10.49 mills, to balance next year’s spending plan, which is funded through a combination of property and earned income taxes.
By law, the vote to advertise the budget does not preclude the supervisors from making additional cuts to the budget between now and final passage on Dec. 22, noted township solicitor David Sander.
Supervisor John Mack said between now and final adoption of the budget he would like to hear from residents on what cuts, if any, they would support.
[TAKE MY "BUDGET CUT" SURVEY to tell me what cuts in personnel, service, and/or capital spending you would like to see to reduce the tax increase.]
At the Nov. 10 meeting, Mack said he might support cutting the code enforcement position and the police building study from the budget and favored hiring one new police officer in 2021 and two more in 2022 instead of all three in 2021.
Mack, however, proposed no changes or cuts to the budget on Thanksgiving Eve. Neither did the other supervisors.
The supervisors are hoping to bring an assistant manager on board with expertise in economic development who can devote time to attracting larger sector companies and businesses to the township to produce more revenue for the township.
At the advice of the township’s economic advisor, the township also is looking at ways to reinvigorate the Newtown Business Commons by expanding zoning opportunities to include mixed uses including residential and commercial options.
Several residents attending the Nov. 25 board meeting, however, said this is not a good time to be considering raising taxes with people out of work and unable to pay their bills due to the pandemic.
“What about the guy who lives at home and he and his wife are both unemployed and you put a lien on their house to collect it when they try to sell it,” asked one of the residents.
The township’s proposed 2021 budget is posted online at the township’s website for public inspection. The public will have two more opportunities - Dec. 9 and 22 - to weigh in on the spending plan prior to final adoption on December 22.
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