No tax hike for Liberty Township / By Martha Knight

LIBERTY VILLA—Liberty Township plans to spend $362,153 on General Fund needs in 2015, $230,500 on highway and bridge improvements and care handled in the “state fund,” and $36,500 in the sewer fund.

General Fund revenues are expected to total $379,250. State Fund income is expected to come to $169279, with a modest balance from 2014 expected to help cover costs.

The Sewer Fund is maintained on an “in and out” basis, with sewer rate payers covering the amounts billed to the township by the Port Allegany Sewer Authority, which provides the services to a portion of the township. The township is responsible for certain repairs and for billing customers, and maintains a separate fund for that.

The coming year will see construction activity on a major project, the extension of water and sewer lines about two miles into the Liberty Villa area of the township. When it is completed, a number of new customers are expected to hook on. The project has little direct impact on the budget.

The water-sewer project itself is 75 percent grant funded. The township has arranged to borrow its share as needed, through the First National Bank of Port Allegany. Any service costs, like others related to water and sewer services, would be built into the rates paid by customers, and billed to them every three months.

Among General Fund budget spending items is $44,854 for the fire protection services of the Port Allegany Fire Department. Last year the amount budgeted was $30,200, but $34,854 was paid out.

The township has been raising the amount in annual increments, to reach an amount equivalent to 1 mill in taxation, as requested by the volunteer company also known as Star Hose. The intention is to provide stable financing for the fire company, decrease its dependence on fundraisers, and spread costs fairly. Star Hose also serves Port Allegany Borough and part of Annin Township.

Among spending items listed in the General Fund budget are $8,750 for tax collection, $8,000 for auditing $1,000 for supplies (up from $500), $10,000 for services of the solicitor (up $5,000), $14,142 for the secretary’s wages, $3,660 for gas and electric, and $126,722 for highway costs paid for locally.

There is no spending item for the supervisors’ meeting attendance fee. Supervisor chairman Gary Turner and fellow supervisors Bruce Klein and Fred Ernst III have continued a practice of contributing their remuneration to cover the cost of providing the recycling bin service, at the township government site.

Real estate tax millage was 3.06 in 2014, and the per capita tax has been $10. Supervisors have indicated the tax rates will be about the same in the coming year. Sewer customers are charged $146 per quarter; little change is anticipated this year.

The proposed budget can be viewed at the township office just south of Port Allegany on Route 155. Action to adopt the budget will come at the December 9 meeting.