Muddy Creek Township's latest budget shows declining numbers that could affect the fire department, according to officials.

Spending on public safety is down 2 percent from last year, according to Kelly Livermore, who serves as secretary, treasurer and permit officer for the township.

“The decrease in public safety is due to the decrease in funds received from the state's Foreign Fire Insurance Tax Distribution, which is a pass through to the Portersville-Muddy Creek Township VFD,” Livermore said.

Livermore said supervisors are reviewing other ways to help offset the decline in income for the department.

“The board is currently reviewing requests for funding from the Emergency Management Service to support the upgrade of radios in conjunction with the Butler County 911 Radio upgrade and replacement of rescue equipment,” she said.

Supervisors approved the 2019 budget of $1.215 million at Wednesday's meeting. The budget does show a deficit for the township with revenue listed at $637,211 and expenditures at $789,372, a difference of $152,161.

Livermore said most of the township's spending deals with road maintenance.

“The main thing the township does is roads,” she said. “That's the mission of the township.”

Despite the deficit, the township has $578,200 in available cash balances that carry over from last year: General fund at $136,000, liquid fuels at $145,800, general fund capital reserve at $66,500 and Act 13 capital reserve at $229,900.

The budget shows the deficit will be covered by the available cash from the general fund, estimated to have $1,663 left, and general fund capital reserve, estimated to have $41,550 left by the end of 2019.

Livermore said the budget is close to their average budget and is a testament of the township's consistency, which includes no increase to the real estate tax of 5 mills. A mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value.

“Muddy Creek Township is fiscally sound,” Livermore said. “The board of supervisors continue to meet the mission of the township with no increase in real estate taxes.”