The Tabernacle Township Committee approved the 2019 municipal budget during its June 10 meeting, with residents seeing an increase in taxes.
Homeowners with an assessed township average of $264,729 will see an increase of $52.95 per year.
The municipal purpose tax rate is increasing two cents, from $0.422 to $0.442 per $100 assessed value.
As of now, the anticipated appropriations for the budget total $5,295,054, an increase of just under $1 million from the 2018 budget.
Most of the increase in the appropriations were due to debt services, according to the Department of Finance Chief Financial Officer Rodney Haines.
During the previous meeting, held on April 29, when the committee introduced the budget, Haines informed to the committee about some of the other increases in the budget items. They include:
- An increase of $4,000, from $1,000 to $5,000, is anticipated under the Mayor and Committee line item expenses due to the possibility that technological devices, such as iPads, could replace the necessity for paper.
- The Clerk’s Department anticipates an increase of $26,250 to hire an assistant for about 20 hours a week for digitizing records, among other things.
- A recently signed contract between the municipality and the Tabernacle Rescue Squad required an increase of $16,000, from $12,000 to $28,000 in Emergency Services.
- Parks and Recreation had a $1,500 increase, from $6,000 to $7,500. An increase in construction salary and wages of $8,350, from $145,500 to $153,850.
- The Finance Salary Wages line item is expected to have a 20 percent increase of $6,500, from $32,500 last year.
- Engineering will see an increase of $26,500, from $102,000 to $128,500, for additional funds for other engineering requirements not covered under a state Department of Transportation grant.
- The Public Works Equipment line from increased from $55,000 to $92,000 for the replacement of a dump truck.
The original date for the budget meeting was planned for May 28, but was rescheduled due to tornado warnings in the area.
The next committee meeting will be held on Monday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m., located at Town Hall.
