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Trustees pass 2009 appropriations
(by Megan Edwards, Staff Writer - March 12, 2009)
Prairie Township Trustees approved the 2009 Prairie Township permanent appropriations on March 11.
Before voting 2-1, the trustees discussed three versions of the appropriations. The versions varied slightly due to assignment of various expenditures.
Trustee Nicole Schlosser and Chairperson Doug Stormont voted for the second version, which would designate the payments of a newly constructed maintenance and road building to come out of the general fund. By approving the second version, the appropriates would also allow for a budget of $275,000 for the road and bridge fund.
Trustee Steve Kennedy voted against the second version, and remarked he favored a third version which would earmark the building payments to come out of the road and bridge fund. The budget for the road and bridge fund in the third version, would remain $275,000.
“I believe the road department, if it follows the budget, will have a $100,000 carry-over,” Kennedy said. “I don’t think we need to pull money out of the general fund.”
Schlosser and Stormont believed to make the road department carry the cost of the payments for the new building, which was built on a three-year bond and cost $300,000, would defeat the purpose of the investment.
“The road department has carried the cost of the building for more than half the payments,” Schlosser said. “We are touching the investment income it has earned.”
Kennedy contended that at the start of the project, trustees were advised there was “no problem in funding.” Now, he added, halfway through the payment process, that has changed.
Schlosser said she took into account the weakening economy and extenuating circumstances.
“It’s not been a good year for anyone,” she said. “It’s been very, very rough. It calls for some creativity and reworking some things we originally thought would be.”
According the appropriations for 2009, the total of all funds is expected to be more than $7.8 million, with more than $1.8 million as the general fund. Just over $4 million is budgeted for the special levy fire fund and $664,105 is slotted for the ambulance and emergency medical fund.
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