Taxes status quo in Richland

Richland officials got an early look at the 2012 budget on Monday and the news for residents is good.

That's because no tax increase is proposed for next year.

The tax rate is expected to remain at 9.5 mills, with the owner of a home assessed at $30,000 paying $285 in property taxes.

The 2012 budget is nearly $6.1 million, but that includes $776,300 from the open space bond that the township may not spend next year. In reality, the budget is closer to about $5.3 million.

The majority of the 2012 spending plan is the nearly $2.4 million general fund and the $1.9 million police fund. The latter includes money to hire an additional officer next year to bring the force back to 11 officers plus the chief.

The department has been short an officer since the former chief, Lawrence Cerami, was placed on leave and later resigned. Sgt. Rich Ficco was promoted to the top job in August.

On Monday, Officer Raymond Aleman, an 11-year veteran of the force, was promoted to detective sergeant. Richland now has two sergeants again.

The township's fund balance is up an additional $400,000 this year, which officials contribute mostly to a reduction in personnel costs. Richland eliminated or scaled back several positions through retirements or resignations. This includes the vacancies within the police department.

Richland expects to end 2011 with more than $3.2 million in reserves.

One area of budgetary concern is the township recycling program.

Because of its size, Richland is mandated by the state to recycle, and the township contracts to have items picked up from residential curbsides. It costs about $122,000 to run the program and, in the past, the state funded most of it through a grant.

But the grant is expected to drop to $30,000 in 2012, leaving the township to absorb the remaining expense.

Supervisor Rick Orloff called the situation “unsustainable in the long-term,” noting two possible options: raising taxes to fund the program or placing the onus on residents to contract and pay for their own recycling pick-up. The concern with the latter is that residents will simply choose not to recycle.

Officials are hoping both scenarios could be avoided if the economy picks up and growth resumes, whereby the township could be in a better position to fund the program.

With the economy still recovering, Richland is expected to take on only a few small projects next year. On the list is an $85,000 expense to replace police radios to comply with a new federal mandate.

Richland will also spend $45,000 to upgrade lighting at the municipal complex and police building. Production is ceasing on the type of fluorescent light bulbs the township has been using so officials are looking to replace the system with more energy-efficient lights.