With nearly $113,000 loss in state-shared revenue and $203,000 less in local taxes, township layoffs are coming.
‘I know that’s a terrible word to use at this particular time, especially with the ways things are in Michigan, but we’re beginning to be affected by it,? said Independence Township Supervisor Dave Wagner.
‘Our state-shared revenue got cut along with taxable values dropping at a larger rate than expected this year, it’s hurting us more than what we imagined.?
At the beginning of the first quarter the original budget had revenues in excess of expenditures of $207,471.
The board voted 5-2 in favor of the recommended net decrease in expenditures of $27,570.96 at the May 5 board meeting, which Finance Director Susan Hendricks said would give the township’s fund balance a projected increase of $32,041.96.
Treasurer Curt Carson and Trustee David Lohmeier voted against the recommended changes.
‘We got the documents basically an hour before the meeting, I hadn’t even looked at them,? Carson said. ‘I am not going to make a decision on something until I’ve viewed it.?
Lohmeier said he wanted to have a budget workshop first and look at the budget as a whole.
‘We’re taking services away when we haven’t looked at all of our opportunities to balance out without taking services away,? he said. ‘I would vote no again.?
Wagner said all of the department heads are examining their budgets once again and he will bring a new list of recommended cuts to the board at the June 16 meeting.
‘We haven’t formally made cuts to personnel, we have looked at areas where we believe that we can make cuts and once again I’m just making sure that the cuts do actually make sense and we’re not going to have a domino effect,? he said. ‘Making a cut just to make things look good could actually hurt a service and we don’t want to hurt a service.?
Wagner recommended a reduction of $248,000 to the building department because of drastic drops in permits and inspections.
‘That one department we’re looking at very heavily,? he said. ‘We had several new projects that were supposed to start where we would have needed the personnel and due to the lack of the availability of loans these commercial projects have virtually ceased until financing is available and we don’t know if that will be this year or next year.?
Wagner said they are also looking closely at the Parks and Recreation department and which programs may have to be cut due to the large amounts of money lost to the township. Parks and Rec. will be losing $86,675 in revenue.
‘Traditionally we’ve lost a lot of money, but they’re very, very popular programs and the board has always decided to fund them just because of their popularity. Unfortunately right now popularity doesn’t pay the bills and for the next couple years we may have to cut a few of these programs out,? he said. ‘I’m hoping at the board meeting on June 16, I will be able to detail some of the programs that we’re looking at.?
However, Lohmeier disagrees.
‘I want to keep cuts away from the where people actually get benefits from the services and quit spending on things that have no value,? he said. ‘Township Hall is a beautiful building, but for most people in the township it’s just a nicer desk to pay your taxes.?
Wagner also noted he talked with both supervisors of Waterford and White Lake township to get ideas of what other municipalities are doing to save money.
‘I’m trying not to reinvent the wheel, but see what these other communities have done and if it’s been successful,? he said.