COURT HOUSE — At a special meeting/budget workshop Tuesday morning (March 30), Middle Township Committee talked about increasing municipal fees as a way to increase revenue and subsequently reduce the burden local taxpayers felt in this year’s budget.
According to Auditor Glen Ortman, the township is looking at a 2.9-cent tax rate increase based on current expenses and revenues.
Ortman said the township would need to cut $787,000 from the budget to get it under state mandated tax levy caps, $1.1 million to make it a 2-cent increase, $1.4 million for a penny increase and $1.7 million for no increase to local taxpayers.
Fees will likely increase for existing licenses and services such as: mobile homes, motels, campgrounds, gravel pits, taxicabs, temporary signs, liquor licenses, ambulance rides, bounced checks, yard sales and shopping carts. There were also some new fees suggested from the Tax Collector’s office and the Police Department as well as talk about a township sponsored Mercantile License.
Some of the proposed fees and increases were dramatic, others slight. Some would add significant revenues to township coffers, others very little.
But Deputy Mayor F. Nathan Doughty noted that every little bit counts.
“Put it all in the pot,” he said. “It all adds up.”
Township Solicitor James Pickering said he would work on preparing the appropriate ordinances to reflect Township Committee’s planned fee increases for introduction at an April meeting.
Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com
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