Brandon Twp.- The township board approved the 2015 budget by a 4-3 vote at their Dec. 1 meeting. Trustees Dana DePalma, Ron Lapp and Jayson Rumball voted no.
The general fund budget has $2,508,743.64 in revenues and matching expenditures. The general appropriations act also features a fire department operating budget of $1,881,004, equipment and housing at $599,289, ambulance budget of $1,108,655, and police, $2,071,115.95.
‘I am glad the budget was approved,? said Supervisor Kathy Thurman. ‘The township is in a financially strong position. We have been able to build our rainy day fund to acceptable levels and we are still working on other post employment (OPEB) benefits, but we are in a much better position than we were four years ago.?
The township had a fund balance of $818,789 as of the June audit and in November, approved allocating $100,000 of those funds for other post employment benefits to invest for retiree healthcare as well as $100,000 to the rainy day fund, and $50,000 to the cemetery fund to be used for parking improvements. At their Dec.1 meeting, the board also allocated $183,000 back to the park development fund.
With improved economic times, the budget also includes wage increases for employees and elected officials, the reason some board members voted no.
‘I thought we resolved the pay issues,? said Trustee Ron Lapp on why he voted no to the budget. ‘I don’t always support elected officials getting raises. I do support the employees getting a raise and I think we did a really good job as a board coming up with a budget.?
Prior to the vote on the budget, DePalma said she would vote no because the wage increases were not a flat 2 percent for all employees. The board approved by a 4-2 vote at their Nov. 10 meeting (Lapp was absent with notice) a 2 percent wage increase for all full-time employees, including the supervisor, clerk, and treasurer. The majority of part-time employees will receive a 30 cents per hour raise.
Township employees received a raise last year, but from 2008-2013, no wage increases were given. The new raises equate to about $14,000 annually.