Butler Township keeps taxes level for 9th year
BUTLER TWP — Township commissioners Monday adopted a $8.025 million budget that holds the line on real estate taxes for the ninth consecutive year.
The real estate tax rate of 11.25 mills will remain the same in 2020.
The budget directs $1.24 million, or 7.64 mills, to the general fund; $325,265, or 2 mills to fire protection; and $261,838, or 1.61 mills, to debt service. One mill generates $162,632 in revenue.
Township officials said the police department accounts for 38 percent of budget spending, the road department accounts for 37 percent, the zoning department accounts for 11 percent, administration accounts for 9 percent and parks account for 5 percent.
Commissioner Sam Zurzolo said budget preparation went smoothly, and he commended staff for putting the budget together.
“The township has really got a rein on the purse strings,” Zurzolo said.
In unrelated business, Police Chief John Hays said the police department, along with the Butler County sheriff's office and state police, will participate in the “Shop with a Cop” event at Walmart on Friday.
The Butler Area School District selected 40 students to go Christmas shopping with police officers, Hays said.
He said he believes this will be the first time the department participated in the program.
New township logo
Commissioner Fred Vero said township residents selected their favorite of three samples for a new township logo.
Students in the communications department at Slippery Rock University created the three sample logos that residents had until Nov. 16 to vote for on the township website.
The students prepared a binder full of information from the survey and got a cost estimate from a company to change all the logos at the municipal building, Vero said.
“What they presented to us was over and above what we anticipated,” Vero said.
He said the commissioners will have to decide if they want to change the logo. The logo appears on letterhead, the website and other places, he said.
The students also developed a booklet that the township can send to new residents and gave the township the template for the booklet so changes can be made in the future, Vero said.
Other business
In other business, the commissioners adopted a resolution increasing the amount of a Pennsylvania Small Water and Sewer program grant application for the Highfield storm sewer project to $407,870 from $302,312.
Township manager Tom Knights said the grant application deadline was Dec. 13, but the Department of Community and Economic Development instructed the township to submit an application with the revised dollar figure.
The commissioners awarded a $39,800 contract to CRS Contracting of Cabot to demolish a steel building and pump house in Preston Park. The two other bids submitted for the project were $61,832 and $69,900.
The demolition is part of a larger project to extend and widen the park access road, add parking spaces and build restrooms.
The commissioners also reappointed Paul Sybert to the Butler Area Sewer authority board of directors and appointed Brent Thomas to the zoning hearing board to replace Heather Starcher, who resigned after serving nine years.
