The Dorr Township Board adopted a $1.2 million fiscal year 2018-19 budget that virtually breaks even, but members still did some wrangling over a few issues.
The budget anticipates $1.194 million in revenue and $1.196 million expenditures, a little less than $2,000 in shortfall that easily will be covered by a fund balance that Treasurer Jim Martin says amounts to more than $1.5 million.
The township expects to levy an allocated millage of 0.7529 mills for general operations, which would bring in $1,193,900. Voter-authorized millages of 0.2996 mill are for library, 0.5 mill for fire equipment/fire vehicles and 3.0 mills for roads have estimated total revenues of $880,000.
Trustees Terri Rios and John Tuinstra both said they’d like to find a way to put more funding into roads, besides the three mills approved by voters in August 2016, but Martin told them they should have expressed that wish during the budget committee workshop deliberations.
Rios also wanted to take up the matter of a raise for Fire Chief Gary Fordham, but her colleagues said that would be better handled at the board’s April meeting. Supervisor Jeff Miling said that if a raise is granted, it could be made retroactive to April 1, the beginning of fiscal year 2018-19.
The vote to adopt the budget was 6-1, with Rios dissenting.
In other business at Thursday night’s meeting, the board:
• Reappointed John Tuinstra and Josh Otto, both township trustees, to four-year terms on the Downtown Development Authority. Clerk Debbie Sewers cast the lone dissenting vote, saying she would have liked Miling to seek applicants rather than just reappoint. Miling said it’s difficult to find people willing to volunteer and serve on the DDA Board.
• Approved a DAA budget of $105,245 for the next year.
• Approved contract renewal for dust control with SWB Enterprises at a cost of $10,935 per application, with $405 to be billed to Hopkins Township for sharing the work on 126th Avenue. Tuinstra introduced an amendment to postpone the vote because three applications means almost $33,000 and he’d like to see bids more actively sought.
Trustee Dan Weber responded, “How long are you going to drag your feet on this? I live on a gravel road.”
Tuinstra’s proposed amendment failed 4-3. He was joined by Martin and Rios.
Weber added, “Sometimes common sense has got to trump all these policies were are creating.”
• Agreed to have a new light installed on 18th Street at Village Lane by Consumers Power at a cost of $190.
• Approved job descriptions for employees, but voted 5-2 at the suggestion of Martin to remove “employee review forms. Sewers and Rios voted against the removal.
