Brandon Twp. – Since 2001 Brandon Township lost more than a quarter of a million dollars in state revenue and because of those cuts township office staff will have to scrimp on daily working materials.
‘Tell me that’s not devastating,? said Ron Lapp, township supervisor.
‘We’re not going to shut down operations, but we are going to watch spending very closely.?
In a majority vote, the township board elected, on Monday, to intervene in current spending from the 2004 budget in preparation for further cutbacks in 2005.
‘With significant reductions in the state revenue it’s just good management practice to save as many cents to balance the budget in 2005.?
‘It’s my responsibility to be sure we’re fiscally sound on spending,? Lapp continued.
Officials adopted a curved spending policy topped with an immediate freeze on all hiring, and chopping all overtime ? except for overtime associated with the upcoming November election.
‘We’ve got to start building up a buffer again and you can’t keep taking from the budget.
In addition, part-time employees will work no more than 50 hours in a pay period, and office ‘fill? positions, or temporary assistance, will be diminished.
‘This will simply require better scheduling on the department heads part,? Lapp said adding that all purchases of equipment will be expressly approved by the township board.
Also included in current cuts are the elimination of all nonessential travel with a requirement that all training attendance must be approved by the township board.
While at least one resident expressed disapproval to the board for approving a delay of the Hurd Road ditching project, Lapp said it will be ‘rolled over? into the 2005 budget.
‘We will not take away from the road maintenance programs such as chloride and gravel but the discretionary projects will roll over to next year,? Lapp said.
Lapp says, however, those funds do not make up for what the township lost in state funding since 2002.
‘We are still significantly behind where we should be,? said Lapp.
‘That money is gone, but we’ll be okay.?
As the final 2005 budget should be adopted no later than Dec. 31, township officials expect to have a draft budget for a Trust and Budget Hearing by Dec. 15.