West Penn Township supervisors took their first crack at next year’s budget with the goal of no tax increase.

Supervisors held the workshop last Monday, meeting with department heads.

Roads

Roadmaster Jeremy Frable said his budget calls for about a $50,000 increase.

Frable said the department would like to get a new tandem dump truck, which would cost $266,902.

Of that amount, the township has $184,026 saved in general funds, and the difference would be taken out of the township’s liquid fuels funds.

Other expenses Frable mentioned include pipes that are needed at various roads; paving of various roads, with funds to likely come from state liquid fuels; salt and antiskid; and tar and chipping of roads.

Board Chairman Tony Prudenti said that the township plans to apply for an LSA grant for a paver.

Prudenti also suggested that the township put money into rental equipment for the road crew.

Office department

Prudenti said the township may have to put more money into equipment for the office staff.

“They know more about the township than we do,” Prudenti said.

Ambulance/fire department

Prudenti said that this past year, the township set aside $45,000 for Penn Mahoning Ambulance, and $75,000 for the fire department.

Supervisor Glenn Houser suggested the township wait and see where it’s at with the budget before it decides what route it should take.

“I really would hate to take it away,” Houser said. “But, I can’t see us going backward; these people are our first line of defense.”

Police

Police Chief James Bonner said his budget calls for about a $55,000 increase.

Bonner said that the officers haven’t received a raise in years.

Supervisor Tim Houser said that the township previously ran into a similar situation with the road crew department.

“We took a lot of criticism from to get our budget back in line,” Houser said. “We just have to take the criticism from people and do what we need to do to be fiscally responsible.”

Taxes stayed level this year

Residents didn’t see an increase in their municipal tax rates after supervisors unanimously adopted this year’s budget, which left the millage rate at 4.50 mills.

In November 2022, supervisors on a 2-1 vote agreed to make cuts to several departmental budgets to give it a balanced spending plan. Hummel was opposed.

Before that vote, Prudenti said there was a $100,043 difference in the budget.

Prudenti then proposed taking $50,000 out of the truck fund, $30,000 from the road department, and $10,000 each from the office and police department’s budgets.

Hummel said he was against the action because the police department has gone three straight years without an increase.