Middletown Township may have handled its money well last year, but, as Supervisor Tom Gallagher found out, it’s not necessarily an opportunity to pat yourself on the back.
The township’s fourth-quarter financial report, presented at last week’s supervisors meeting, showed the township came in under budget and brought in more money than expected through various programs.
The figures have not been audited yet, but that process has been moved up from May to February of this year.
In the general revenue fund, Middletown brought in just over $31,300 and spent $18,700. Total operating revenues were projected at $17,924,385, but came in at nearly $22 million.
This included $451,000 in reimbursable police overtime, higher than the expected $310,000. Middletown is often reimbursed when police overtime is needed at events at places like Oxford Valley Mall or Sesame Place.
The township’s earned income tax revenue was also much greater than expected — a point Gallagher stressed. Projections were for $5.5 million last year, but Middletown received $8.1 million.
“This is where I get to gloat,” he said.
Gallagher noted he wanted to reduce property taxes at last year’s budget meetings, but was told the revenue wasn’t there to justify that.
“This year,” he said, “I will once again try to reduce property taxes again.”
His moment was cut short by supervisor Tom Tosti, who recalled when a “$10 decrease” was on the table at that meeting. He said Gallagher didn’t vote for it because it wouldn’t go far enough, and wanted to spend the money elsewhere.
“I was just wondering if I was in the same meeting you were in,” said Tosti.
Gallagher said the amount was much less than that.
“You probably were, you weren’t paying attention,” he responded.
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Middletown to purchase new municipal vehicles with recent grant
Middletown will purchase a 2017 Ford Super Duty F-30 pickup truck, snowplow, spreader and accessories and federal signal light bar for a total of nearly $40,000.
The township will also acquire a Caterpillar wheel loader for $149,616 and three 2017 Ford Utility Police Interceptor vehicles for $91,064.
Funds for these vehicles comes from recent grants from the Redevelopment Authority of Bucks County, totalling $635,824.2016 budget report shows gains, savings for Middletown
