Amity preliminary budget retains police force

Amity Township Secretary/Treasurer JoAnne Sowers Smith told the Amity Township Board of Supervisors Nov. 7 that the preliminary 2013 budget deficit has decreased from $43,000 to $10,000, thanks to a recent $200,000 earned income tax payment.

Supervisor Terry L. Jones’ motion to advertise the $3.73 million preliminary budget with a one-tenth fire tax increase died without a second on Nov. 7.

He said the $66,000 revenue generated by the one-tenth tax levy would help fund the seven year payment on the unfunded mandate by the county for all of its municipalities to buy into a new emergency-responder radio system.

“We need to increase the fire tax to cover that unfunded mandate by the county,” said Jones, adding, “For three years we’ve been robbing the piggy bank to pay the bills.”

If approved by the board, the millage rate would increase from 1.8 to 1.9 mills; annual tax payments on a $100,000 assessed-property would increase from $180 to $190.

Currently, 0.5 mills of the 1.8 tax funds the Amity and Monarch fire departments.

The board unanimously approved on Nov. 7 a total of $340,581.16 on six promissory notes to acquire the new radios for the fire departments, the Amity Township Police Department and Southern Berks EMS.

Township Manager Charles E. Lyon said the tentative budget includes $386.55, which if approved by the board, would be an annual expense to acquire radios for Southern Berks. Southern Berks Ambulance operates a full-time unit in Amity Township.

That expense would be in lieu of the township’s annual $500 contribution to the privately-owned ambulance company.

Fellow board members said they were not yet prepared to vote on Jones’ tax levy proposal.

“I want to think this through and look at that fire tax,” said Gokey, adding that he wasn’t told earlier of Jones proposal. “Is there something in the fire departments ? Monarch wants to buy a new tanker. Maybe that can be put off?”

“This is our first budget meeting,” said Supervisor Paul R. Weller. “We’ve cut everything we can cut in the last three years.”

The 2013 budget also includes the board’s unanimous approval of a new three-year recycling contract with J.P. Mascaro & Sons, Reading.

Effective Jan. 1, Mascaro’s recycling program in Amity Township will be single-stream; recycling materials will no longer need to be separated for pick-up and any type of container may be used with special stickers issued by Mascaro.

Recycling will still be picked up on Fridays but with a compacting trash truck.

The budget also includes all 12 officers of the Amity Township Police Department.

That is despite the announcement in July by board Chairman Robert R. Yanos that the board would need to furlough one officer in September in anticipation of a $153,000 2013 budget deficit.

Yanos said that the budget deficit would result from the new, arbitrated police contact approved by the board in May that has a salary increase of 3.5 percent retroactive to Jan. 1, 2012 and a 15 percent increase in health care costs.

Prior to any action, the board was met on Aug. 1 with a meeting-room full of angry residents who protested any police department furloughs.

Resident said they would support paying an additional $2.50 in taxes to retain all 12 officers but would not support a tax increase to pay the township’s $1 million debt on Amity Community Park, Weavertown Road, and the renovations to the township and police department building.