Credit: Jeff Bohen/LevittownNow
Bristol Township Council has approved the township’s $68 million operating budget for 2015. View the budget here.
The new budget will also reduce real estate tax millage rates from 23.9875 to 23.98, an overall reduction of 0.3 percent which Township manager Bill McCauley said published reports described as tiny.
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Council Vice President Troy Brennan said, “in this day and age, it’s a major feat for any level of government to reduce taxes.”
According to McCauley, the current council has done something the council before it couldn’t do.
McCauley told LevittownNow.com that since 2012, council has reduced millage by 1.3 percent for the cash strapped municipality. In comparison, for the years 2006-12, council at that time increased tax millage by a little more then 64 percent.
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“[A] 1.3 percent millage decrease might be small,” said McCauley. “But it certainly beats 64 percent millage increases.”
Officials said the new budget will continue to “facilitate the transformation of Bristol through investment in the ownship’s infrastructure.” That continued reinvestment will cost the municipality 9 million dollars next year. You can view the breakdown of those funds below.
- 5 million for road resurfacing- 28 miles of roads scheduled to be paved in 2015
- 3 million for renovations to the Municipal Building
- 1 million for improvements to the Public Works facility in Croydon.
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“This Council has made all the difficult decisions required to cut spending and get township finances under control and invested wisely” said McCauley.
Optimistic about the outlook for Bristol, McCauley added, “I wish that we could declare victory at this point, but the job is not yet done.”
This is the second time in four years that the current council has reduced the tax millage rate in the township.
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Additional Budget Highlights
- General Fund revenues and expenditures will be $27,326,200 (33% increase from 2014 budget).
- 2015 General Fund budget proposes to balance the budget without using any fund balance as operating revenue.
- Revenues (operating) are largely unchanged from 2014 levels.
- Negotiated for reductions/consolidation of copier and printer lease.
- Reduction of several full-time positions to part-time (2014) without any reduction in service levels.
- Reduction in health insurance plan premiums for Police as a result of switch from Blue Cross to DVHIT.
- Bond issued in June 2014 decreased debt service payments saving $1.1 million in tax dollars.
- Net expenditures are actually less than Township spent in 2011 when you deduct Interfund Transfers.
