Officials to pay for emergency services ad from own pockets

The board of supervisors for Kidder Township unanimously voted to pay for an advertisement out of their own pockets Thursday night. Every year the Kidder Township Board of Supervisors buys a full page advertisement in the Kidder Township Emergency Services guide.

Most of the members of the board already pay for full page advertisements in the guide for various other personal or professional affiliations. After a brief discussion it was decided that the board members would take the price of the full page ad, $50.00 out of their own pockets to at least save the township that cost.

While Kidder Township was one of a few townships in the area not to increase taxes, the township will have to use up to $400,000 in their reserve funds. The board is hoping that economic conditions within the county will turn around.

If conditions do not improve for the township, the board may have to tighten its belt when it comes to donating to several nonprofit organizations and charities in the township. One of the places that could be hit affect might be the library. These organizations and charities will have to seek other ways to make up for the loss of money that is usually donated by Kidder Township.

The board of supervisors had several budget planning meetings to see where they could trim the budget to save the township money. The board was able to make the 2010 budget $180,000 less than the 2009 Kidder Township budget. Even with all the budget cuts and restraints, without the economy turning around for the township and the country as a whole, Kidder Township may face some tough times.

Next month at the regularly scheduled Kidder Township Board of Supervisors meeting, held on the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m., John Finnerty the township manager will propose possible changes to the fees the country charges. Several of the fees currently on the books are out dated by several years and this could possibly be one way to help increase the income to the county without affecting everyone in the township.