CHERRY TWP — The township's maintenance budget has stabilized as a result of more state funding.

The township's proposed budgets for 2019 are balanced at $385,000 (general fund) and $170,000 (maintenance fund).

The $170,000 for the maintenance fund was increased a couple years ago and is now showing signs of stability, according to Supervisor Bill Smith, who is also the road master and equipment operator.

“That's basically our liquid fuels allocation we get from the state,” Smith said. “It's (gone) up here in the last two years.”

Smith said that about three years ago, the township was only receiving $144,000 in allocations from the state.

“A lot of our drainage infrastructure comes from that and our winter maintenance comes from that,” Smith said. The township also intends to carry over $64,000 left over from last year.

“It's like a rainy-day fund we maintain,” Smith said.

Smith said the excess from pervious years is typically spent on equipment repairs and other similar projects. e noted that the township has been able to better manage its budget and save money as a result of the Local Services Tax passed a few years ago.

Smith added that the tax provides about $52 of income per employee who works within the township to the local emergency service departments and government.

“It's the old wage tax,” Smith said. “They just fancied it up and call it LST.”

Smith said that the township relies on the tax, which particularly impacts employees of Iron Mountain, the largest employer in the township. He said much of the township is rural and a large part of its land is sanctioned as state game lands.

“We get $2,000 (from the state) in lieu of (Real Estate taxes), which really takes a bite out of us,” he said. “Without (Iron Mountain employees), we'd be in trouble. We'd have a lot less.”

Smith said the township also will being applying for local grants for a project involving the repaving of Harrisville Road, which is about three miles long. He said this is the third time the township has applied for grants for the project, having been denied twice before.

“When you start adding in all the drainage that needs put it, it become quite expensive,” Smith said.

Supervisors meet at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at Moniteau High School.