Politics & Government

UM Township Adopts 2012 Budget

Residents can expect no new taxes or fees next year./ Also resident brings up storm water management.

In a vote of 5 – 2, the Upper Moreland Board of commissioners passed the 2012 Budget at the Dec. 5 special meeting.

The new budget does not increase real estate taxes or other fees for residents. The 2012 budget follows the 13.6-percent tax increase of the 2011 budget.

Reading from the budget’s summery, president of the board Sam Valenza stated that the 2012 budget successfully funds all municipal services currently provided to township residents.

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He said that the new budget proposes township expenditures of $17,432,798, which, according to the budget summery report, is a decrease of $321,904; a 1.8-percent decrease compared to the 2011 budget.

According to Valenza, the township’s expenditure reduction is primarily due to a reduction in costs of health-care benefits.

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The 2012 budget has a projection by Dec. 31, 2012 for a general fund balance of $2.1 million, which is 12-percent of the 2012 budget.

Commissioners Lisa Romaniello and James McKenna voted agaist the 2012 budget. During commissioners’ comments, Romaniello said she was, at first, unsure in which direction she would vote until she conducted a comparison analysis of township expenditures for the last five years.

“If you look at our revenue stream, and this has been said numerous times, our expenditures are clearly outpacing our revenues,” Romaniello said.

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Storm Water Management

During the public comments section of the Dec. 5 regular meeting, a resident asked about a township-wide storm water management plan.

It was recommended that she attend next Monday’s Community Development Committee meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. in the .

Chairperson for the Committee, Joe Lavalle, added that at the previous community development committee meeting, there was discussion over the creation of a storm water management sub-committee.

According to Lavalle, the subcommittee, made up of the current committee members (commissioners Kevin Spearing, Kip McFatridge and Joe Lavalle) along with the township engineer, will meet on a monthly basis to review storm water situations.

Lavalle added that the committee had initiated a storm water management fund over the last year, which now has a near six-figure balance.

The subcommittee will discuss the current storm water management study, re-analyze the problem areas, discuss budget for construction and seek grants in relation to storm water management.

Reports from the sub-committee will be placed on the agenda for the Community Development Committee meetings.


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