Lower Tyrone holds line on taxes
LOWER TYRONE TWP. – Township supervisors passed their 2003 tentative budget without a tax hike. According to Secretary Linda Hiles, the $191,114 spending plan calls for revenues of $23,932 in real estate taxes, $1,500 in prior year’s levy, $1,625 in real estate transfer, $58,054 in earned income tax and $740 in occupational privilege taxes. Additional revenue includes $450 in mechanical device taxes, $1,104 in business privilege taxes, $891 golf tax and $3,500 in per capita taxes. Other financing sources include game, Helicon, gas tax, copies, gas company, liquor control board, timber, sale of used equipment and foreign fire in the amounts of $20,000, $99,318 and $91,796.
Expenditures are as follows: $27,050 for general government, $19,821 for public safety and $114,555 for highways, $29,688 for miscellaneous. Public safety includes fire, worker’s compensation and tanker insurance, $8,109; sewage officer, $607; and SPCA, Noah’s Ark, $9,105.
Under highways, $11,849 will go toward new equipment, $3,857 will go for snow removal, $2,000 will go for sewage-drainage and pipe, $7,500 for repairs on equipment, $8,000 for fuel, $1,500 for dust oil, $4,569 for asphalt, $9,000 for stone, $3,618 for supplies such as parts and tools, $24,000 for payroll and $38,662 for additional road work.
No money is slated for culture and recreation, which includes the public library.
In unrelated matters, solicitor Richard Husband reported that he is still checking to see if the township can turn over a baseball field to the Dawson Grange. Husband said he has to get some paperwork from the state before he can make a decision.
Last month, Husband said he wasn’t sure the ball field could be returned to the Grange because a $15,000 Department of Community Affairs recreational grant was used to make several improvements to the field.