Revenues are up and costs are down for the approved 2012 budget. It’s economics 101 and Evesham Township finds itself in a good budgetary position moving forward.
Members of the township council approved the final version of the $32.9 million budget, which will also contain a flat municipal tax rate.
The budget contains a flat municipal tax rate of a little more than 39-cents per every $100 of assessed property value. For the average assessed home in the township of $271,800, this would be a decrease of about $3 from the 2011 municipal tax bill, Township Manager Bill Cromie said.
Council didn’t need much time to discuss the budget, Mayor Randy Brown acknowledged, since it once again featured a flat municipal tax rate and would provide economic stability moving into the next year.
When Brown came to the council, he said the budget depended on $3 million in deferred taxes to keep the rate low. Now the budget has zero dollars in school tax deferrals. Depending on school tax deferrals is what gets municipalities in trouble in the long run, he said.
Brown reminded taxpayers that the last time the township raised the tax increase was two years ago when the township suffered through 160-inches of snow during a winter.
In other township news:
The council revised a request for proposals for the Indian Spring Country Club. Council had previously approved an RFP for a management contract for the club, but Brown reported that it will be changed to a simple lease agreement.
A lease agreement would bring in greater revenue for the township and would last between seven to 15 years depending on the agreement. Because the contract wouldn’t have to be renewed every three years like the previous country club arrangement, Brown said the leasing company would be able to invest more capital into the club and golf course.
It would also increase revenue coming into the township.
“We’re going from a management contract to a lease. Hopefully we’ll have a new RFP going out very soon,” Brown said. “We believe a leasing opportunity will bring us more revenue.”
An RFP will also be published for a tenant for the country club’s banquet facility. Currently, Marco’s Banquet Facility is in place at the club.
Also, in the council’s work session a discussion was broached on the cleanliness of the township’s commercial properties. Some of these properties haven’t been touched in more than 30-years, Brown said.
The township will also be looking into possibly changing an ordinance about the amount of time that temporary signs can be left out in the township.
Those two items will be discussed at the next council meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, July 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the township municipal building.
