Politics & Government

Warminster Supervisors Adopt Final 2012 Budget

A $1.6 million surplus for 2011 helped the township maintain the current tax rate.

The Warminster Board of Supervisors closed out the 2011 calendar year with the approval of the township's final 2012 budget that maintained the tax rate at 17.07 mills.

The 3-2 decision featured two dissenting votes from Republicans Leo Quinn and Tom Panzer, who all but guaranteed the budget would be re-opened at the beginning of next year after is sworn into office at the Jan. 3 re-organization meeting.

"We're going to make some tweaks," said Quinn after Thursday night's meeting. "I don't think it will be anything too earth-shattering, but we definitely want to take another look at it."

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Larger-than-expected revenue from state pension aid, building permit fees and business taxes, plus savings from the reduction of police department staff and other department expenses contributed to a for the 2011 budget. Quinn expressed concerns to township manager Bob Tate that without similar extraordinary events next year, the township could be looking at another possible tax raise.

Tate did not share Quinn's concerns and felt confident that the tax rate would remain steady for the near future. For example, Tate said, if the board follows through on its decision to switch health care plans and join the Delaware Valley Health Insurance Trust (DVHIT), they could see as much as $300,000 in annual savings.

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The board gave Tate approval Thrusday night to send a letter of commitment to the DVHIT, which will get the paperwork started for the switch. Warminster solicitor Michael Savona affirmed that last night's vote did not lock the township into the plan, and the board can still opt out at any time until the final contracts are signed.

The 2012 budget also features the repayment of $500,000 to the stormwater fund. With the awarding of $500,000 from the state's RACP grant and the relatively smooth acquisitions of righ-of-way easements from residents, Tate and township engineer Craig Kennard expect two stormwater relief projects to get underway shortly.

The first will enlarge and re-design the Whittier Basin behind Archbishop Wood and hopefully reduce flooding in the Spencer, Fisher and Penrose lane neighborhoods. The second will address flooding problems around 8th and Greene streets neighborhood, near the .

The budget also reflects a new, five-year waste hauling contract awarded to J.P. Mascaro & Sons that reduced sanitation fees for township residents. The 2012, non-senior rate will be $348, and the senior rate for residents 62 years and older will be $293.


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