W. Penn adopts 2020 budget with no tax increase

It appears as if Christmas has come early for West Penn Township residents.

On a 2-0 vote, the township’s board of supervisors agreed Monday morning to adopt the 2020 budget with no tax increase. Supervisor Tim Houser was absent.

In a related matter, per the recommendation of outgoing Supervisor Ted Bogosh, the board agreed that if the $9,000 that is currently set aside for the water ordinance is not spent, to utilize it toward road repairs.

Board Chairman Tony Prudenti noted that next year’s spending plan will leave the millage rate in check at 4.75 mills.

At last month’s workshop, supervisors were able to balance the budget by decreasing bridge repairs from $200,000 to $197,264; adding $25,000 from the police department’s impound lot as an increase; and increasing its contribution to the Penn-Mahoning Ambulance from $40,000 to $45,000.

In October, supervisors at their regularly scheduled bimonthly meeting took a pair of votes related to recent vehicle purchases.

At that time, the board agreed to rescind a motion to buy two new Dodge pickups for the township police department that had been approved earlier that month.

Afterward, the board then agreed to buy two new Chevrolet pickups instead for the department.

Also just before that workshop, the board agreed to include $11,000 as a trade that would be used as part of the purchase of a smaller plow truck for the township road department. The smaller version would cost around $85,000.

Last December, supervisors adopted this year’s $2,561,361 spending plan with no tax increase.