PENN TWP — Penn Township anticipates a slight surplus in 2024, according to its preliminary budget for the next fiscal year.

The budget, which was approved for advertisement at the monthly board of supervisors meeting on Nov. 14, calls for $3,435,870 in projected revenues against $3,281,578 in expenditures, for a projected surplus of $154,292.

The $3,435,870 in projected revenue for 2024 is a sharp increase over the $1,763,843 the township is expecting to make in revenue for 2023, largely due to grants the township received over the past year. These include a $446,706 Automated Red Light Enforcement grant from PennDOT to aid in replacing a traffic signal at Airport Road, and a $704,484 grant from Butler County for the Dodds Road stormwater remediation project.

“The grant money’s already promised for the traffic light out there, and for the stormwater,” said township manager Linda Zerfoss. “It will still come out that we are not spending more than what we have.”

Projected revenue also includes $350,690 in real estate taxes, as well as $1,013,200 in Act 511 “Enabling Act” taxes. The projected revenue also includes $259,885 of “carry over” from the 2023 budget.

On the expenses side, money allocated to the “planning and zoning” item will increase from $211,382 in 2023 to $331,414 in 2024, thanks largely to the cost of commissioning Penn Township’s new comprehensive plan for the future. That line item alone is $68,020.

Nearly half the expenditures ledger — $1,763,950 — is allocated toward public works, while another $323,177 will pay for paid benefits for township employees.

The budget is available for public viewing at the township’s office on Airport Road. The finalized budget will be voted on at the next board of supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 12.