Concord Township is ready to rock its 2019 budget with no tax increase. The township also has a general fund balance of $10 million which prompted Councilman Josh Twersky to propose a tax decrease.
Twersky noted during the discussion that the surplus has increased $6 million since the $4 million in 2008. He suggested the decrease saying, “The people of Concord Township can spend their money better than we can.”
Council President Dominic Pileggi told Twersky that with development applications at a lull, Council can start planning for more trails and parks so that extra money can be spent to make Concord the “best township in the county.”
The budget is balanced with general fund revenue and expenditures at a little more than $4 million. Revenues and expenditures for other special revenue funds — fire hydrant, library tax, highway aid, tree and open space funds — are also balanced. Combining general and special funds, the total income and spending are balanced at $9.29 million.
Township taxes remain what they were for this year at 0.981 mils for those with property where fire hydrants are located and 0.848 mils for properties outside a hydrant district. (A mil is a tax of $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value.)
Council is expected to vote on the budget during its Dec. 4 meeting as part of the regular agenda. Some items could change before then by adding another $16,000 to expenditures. Council member John Crossan asked for another line item to give $15,000 to Darlington Arts center and John Gillespie suggested adding a fourth $1,000 student scholarship.
The discussions took place during the Dec. 13 budget hearing.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
