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The Swatara Township Board of Supervisors discussed the 2025 budget — which will raise taxes by about 10% — during the Oct. 10 meeting.
Township manager Jennifer Harding said the expected revenue for next year is about $1.48 million and expenditures are expected to be about $2 million. $1.8 million is stockpiled in the general fund and will help cover the difference.
Part of the higher expenditures come from updating township vehicles.
“We service [our fleet of vehicles] regularly, but they are rather dated,” Harding said. “The mower tractor that we use for roadside mowing is a 2002 tractor, which predates me, so that is a high-priority item on next year’s budget.”
They are also looking to construct a new township building in the coming years.
The existing building at 68 Supervisors Drive was built in the 1970s, Harding said. They are in the early planning stages, and there isn’t a timeline for construction.
“This is definitely a new process for us,” she said.
The township submitted grant requests to cover some expenses, but they have not been awarded yet. The township, according to Harding, had to prepare to cover all possible payments.
At the Thursday meeting, supervisors voted to advertise the budget, which they must do before voting to accept the budget by the end of the year.
Harding said the budget is “pretty much” done, but there is still some time for adjustments if they’re needed.
The preliminary budget needs to be advertised for at least 20 days before they can vote to adopt it. This typically happens during either the November or December meeting.
In other business:
- Swatara Township will no longer accept anonymous right-to-know requests, supervisors decided unanimously. This is similar to many other municipalities throughout the state that have updated their open records forms to be consistent with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling stating they can choose whether or not to reply to anonymous requests.
- Supervisor Richard Kreitzer announced they will be handing out candy at Northern Lebanon Elementary School instead of the township building because they haven’t been getting many trick-or-treaters lately. The school’s trick-or-treat night will be on Oct. 29 from 6 to 8 p.m., and Kreitzer said past events have drawn about 350 to 400 kids.
The Swatara Township Board of Supervisors will have its next regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Nov. 14 at 68 Supervisors Drive.
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