The Moore Township Board of Supervisors held its final meeting of 2018 on Thursday, December 27 to approve the 2019 budget and tie up any remaining loose ends before the year’s end.
The 2019 budget, which has been available to the public since the beginning of December, was unanimously approved. The total budget accounts for $3.5 million in spending, with an estimated income of $3.495 million. There is no tax increase with this new budget. Supervisors voted to maintain the tax levy at four mils.
The budget was prepared by township manager Nicholas Steiner, with the help of township secretary and treasurer Richard Gable. Steiner praised Gable’s assistance, calling his help a “blessing.”
In addition to improving the budget, supervisors also passed two ordinances that would continue the intermunicipal agreements between the township and Chapman Borough. Services, including police protection and snow removal, have been shared between the two municipalities for several years. However, contracts expired in 2018.
Supervisors voted to continue police protection in the borough for 2019–2021 at a fee of $10,000 per year. The borough can pay this fee in one lump sum or via quarterly payments.
Supervisors also voted to extend snow plowing, cindering, fire protection, and ambulance service to the borough for 2019–2021. The only change is an increase in the snow plowing fee to $5,000.
Moore Township also ended the year with the approval of Sunset Hills as preserved farmland. The preservation cost was $271,000 for the county. Another parcel of property, owned by Moore Estates, has also been offered to the township for preservation. During their meeting, supervisors voted to seek an appraisal before purchasing the land for preservation. The land is currently zoned as rural agriculture. Since 2004, development plans have been continuously denied.
“It would take a lot of issues away from that property if we were to take it,” said Supervisor Daniel Piorkowski.
Finally, supervisors voted to sell the township’s claw bucket equipment to FRCA at a cost of $15,000. The machine was bought in 2016 at a cost of $16,000.
“We could always borrow it if we needed to use it [again],” said Supervisor Gable.
The Moore Township Board of Supervisors will meet again on Monday, January 7 at 7 p.m. for its reorganization meeting.
