JACKSON TWP — The supervisors Monday approved the 2016 township budget with no increase in property tax.

The budget projects $3.58 million in revenue and $3.58 million in expenditures. This year’s budget has about $4.15 million in revenue and $4.02 million in expenditures.

The township’s tax rate will remain at 7.875 mills, meaning residents will pay 78.7 cents per every $100 of their assessed property value.

The supervisors also voted to keep its fire tax at 1.125 mills, which equals about $54,000.

The budget originally called for a .375-mill increase, about $18,000, to its fire tax which would have gone for the Harmony Fire District, a consolidation of volunteer fire departments in Zelienople and Harmony.

The new department begins operation at the first of the new year.

But the supervisors said at their Thursday meeting that they were concerned about the fire tax increase because the fire district didn’t have “all the financial numbers necessary” for the township to necessitate the increase.

“They just need to show us the numbers to justify so we can explain to the citizens that it (tax increase) is justified based on the information given,” supervisors Chairman Ron Lutz said.

The supervisors and officials from Zelienople, Harmony and Lancaster Township met with fire district officials Dec. 14 to discuss the merger.

The fire district asked all four municipalities to have their respective fire taxes at 1.5 mills.

Fire merger committee chairman Jay Grinnell said previously that having the same tax rate “seemed like the fair way to do it and get everyone on the same page” because the millage is based on property taxes.

Regarding keeping the fire tax the same, Supervisor Allan Osterwise said, “They’re in the midst of preparing budgets, and so we thought it prudent to wait until the budgets are all formulated for the new fire district.”

The supervisors expect the fire district will have its budget ready in March or April.

They also said although they voted not to increase the tax, the township still supports the fire district.

“We’re very supportive of the consolidation,” Osterwise said.

Lutz said the township would probably not change the millage rate until the 2017 budget, but it could make up the difference out of its general fund “if they (fire district) show the township the need in their budget.”