Osnaburg Township sending three tax issues to ballot

OSNABURG TWP. − Township officials are asking voters to approve three new property taxes on May 2.

One of the proposed issues will fund cemetery maintenance; another will be for road repair; and a third will fund fire protection.

The levy for cemetery maintenance is 0.15 of a mill. Township officials are seeking a 1.05-mill property tax for road maintenance. The third request, for fire protection, is a 1.3-mill property tax issue.

"They are not real big levies," township Trustee Randall Pero said. "We are going as small as we can, just trying to keep up with inflation. I didn't want to go out for more than I had to."

All three property taxes, if approved, would be continuous.

The cemetery property tax would produce $21,333 annually. Approval of the road maintenance levy would generate $149,332 a year, while the fire levy is projected to produce $184,888 each year.

Of the three tax issues, the cemetery maintenance levy is the anomaly, as Osnaburg Township currently lacks a tax to support its cemetery. The township has operated it on customer fees until now.

"There isn't enough money coming in to take care of mowing, trimming trees," township Fiscal Officer Brian Lowery said. "We have two new cemeteries to take care of. Each cemetery cost us $1,000 a year. Our revenue coming in is between $12,000 to $15,000. That varies. If you don't sell lots, you don't generate any revenue. These cemeteries, the reason we got them is these churches can't take care of them anymore."

If the cemetery property tax request is approved, homeowners would pay $5.25 per $100,000 of valuation.

While discussing a new road maintenance levy, township officials cite the rising cost of equipment, materials and wages for employees.

"Now we are spending almost $30,000 a year in fuel," Lowery said. "The (existing) road levy we have now is 21 years old."

If this new road maintenance tax is approved, homeowners would pay $36.75 per $100,000 in valuation. Osnaburg Township officials currently take in $293,000 yearly from their existing 3-mill road levy.

Regarding needs for the township Fire Department, "one of the things we are talking about is staffing," Fire Chief Amy Parker said.

More:Osnaburg Township fire chief enjoys helping others on their 'worst day'

Township officials are saying they want to lift wages to provide incentive for firefighters to remain on the local Fire Department rather than leave for higher paying positions with other departments. Also, there is a need to purchase new equipment.

"Ambulances have doubled in price, fire trucks have doubled in price," Pero said.

If the fire protection levy is approved, the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $45.50 a year.

Osnaburg Township currently has a 3-mill property tax that supports the Fire Department. The existing fire levy generates $312,000 annually.

More:Osnaburg Township looks at Highway Overlay Districts

Voters in East Canton also will see these three tax issues on their ballots May 2.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Osnaburg Township officials are asking voters to approve three additional tax levies on the May 2 election.