Orion Township has money in the bank, and no plans to spend it.
With a 100 percent-plus fund balance tucked safely under its belt, the Board of Trustees met recently to begin work on long-term budget planning.
The meeting ended with the establishment of three goals.
Goal one: Make sure revenue projections’from property taxes, revenue sharing park services an other areas’are accurate.
Goal two: Develop a capital improvement plan for ‘bricks and sticks?’township facilities. What needs to be replaced, repaired or built, and when? Committee members include Supervisor Matthew Gibb, Trustee Neal Porter, and Trustee JoAnn Van Tassel.
Goal three: Develop a capital improvement plan for consumables. How can the township save money on the things it uses every day? Paper, ink, electricity, ect.? Committee members include Gibb, Clerk Penny Shults and Trustee Mark Crane.
‘We have to anticipate replacement of things like vehicles, and computers,? said Lisa Sokol, Orion’s community programs director.
‘There’s no sense we have a specific understanding of useful life, depreciation of vehicles, best time to make a trade-in. Are we keeping vehicle for three years, five years, what’s our philosophy??
Gibb said a projected outlook would help the township define its values.
‘Multi-year budgeting will allow us to present a stronger forecast,? said Gibb, noting one potential result could be less anxiety for employees who see their position budgeted for in the year ahead.
While the township is required to provide certain services, such as assessing, tax billing, elections and record keeping, it is not required to provide others.
‘We choose to have a fire department and police protection, and those are on a separate millage,? he said, reminding board members the police fund is running low for next year, as the township’s been spending down the funds previously earmarked for a new sheriff’s substation to keep the number of deputies on the street in tact.
The fire fund balance is low, as well, and will be exhausted after the new station is built.
Parks funding is another big issue.
‘We choose to (fund) parks and recreation and the senior center,? Gibb said. ‘We’re looking at saying ‘Hey, we’ll provide the facility but you who use it will have to pay.?
Clerk Penny Shults noted the employee health plan is the township’s financial ‘sink hole,? and suggested looking into alternatives.
The township board members, along with Village of Lake Orion officials, Lake Orion Community School board members and Orion Township Public Library officials meet Thursday, March 25 to discuss shared services.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at orion Township Hall, 2525 Joslyn Road.