Walker Township Supervisors voted to accept the draft of the 2022 budget and advertise it make it available for public inspection. The vote was done at Thursday’s monthly supervisors meeting.

Chairman Craig Wagner offered good news for township residents.

“The biggest thing is, there will not be a tax increase, and millage will stay the same. Just the way this year has been, even the last two years, we just felt we needed to tighten the budget belt and do whatever we can. We’ve been doing a good job; doing a lot of work in-house, getting a lot more done.”

The budget will include a 3% cost of living increase for all township employees.

Past budgets had not included the amount of money spent on road projects because it was always a variable amount. This new budget will include $50,000 for road work and $20,000 for road materials. In the past, costs for road work were taken out of reserves.

The amount for carryover to balance the budget was raised to $67,000; however, in the past, such budgeted funds were not necessarily needed. The amount budgeted in 2021 was $47,000, and in 2020 it was $33,000, but those amounts were never actually needed. They are added to the budget in case they are needed.

Wagner thanked township Secretary Ann Ostergaard and Treasurer Dana Brubaker for their work in preparing the paperwork for the budget and for all their work for the township.

“I will say, we appreciate the job you are doing, you and Dana,” Wagner said. “Everything is organized. You both do a great job.”

He also thanked roadmaster Chad Felty for all the information on the roadwork projects.

The new proposed budget has been approved for advertising and open to the public for inspection. The final vote will be done at the Dec. 2 meeting.

Copies of the budget can be viewed at the township building located at 9 Township Road in Tamaqua. The budget can also be requested online by emailing Walker’s secretary Ann Ostergaard at walkertwpsecretary@gmail.com.