Clay Trustees ask county to share funds
Brookville Star
2018-09-12
Kay Dawson
Contributing Writer
CLAY TOWNSHIP - Clay Township trustees voted at the meeting on Sept. 4 to adopt resolution 2018-032, identical to Miami Township's recent resolution asking Montgomery County Commissioners to share a portion of the sales tax increase with the townships in the county.
The sales tax increase of 0.25 percent, for a total of 7.5 percent, is intended to make up a $9 million gap in the county's 2019 budget and will generate an additional $19.1 million for the county. The resolution asked that 5 percent of this money be shared with Butler, Clay, German, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Miami, Perry and Washington townships.
"That's about $95,000, split among nine townships," Trustee President Dave Vore quickly figured out. "I'm disappointed that the county didn't approach the townships and passed this without a citizen vote. We weren't able to pass the fire levy because our citizens feel taxed out. This money should have been passed downs."
Trustee Steve Woolf pointed out that the sales tax more than makes up the budget gap.
Trustee Jeff Requarth said he thought five percent was low and wanted to make sure it would be shared equally among the townships, but refrained from amending the resolution to provide solidarity among the townships.
The trustees also asked Fiscal Officer Brad Limbert if the township could setup electronic payments of several regular bills. In the past, some problems had arisen either because of holidays or because they had arrived after the last trustee meeting of the month and were due before the trustees could authorize payments at the next meeting. In some months, such as August, two Mondays occur after the last meeting of the month.
Limbert explained some of the vendors would not accept electronic payment but said if the trustees would agree he would try to authorize automatic withdrawals from township accounts.
The township has received all the paperwork to take over administration of the Lutheran Church Cemetery in Phillipsburg. The Emmanuel Lutheran Church is no longer able to administer the cemetery, and under th e Ohio Revised Code the township become responsible.
Woolf presented a quote for patching and paving Lutheran Road from Fernwood Drive to the cemetery.
Requarth asked why there was only one quote.
"After all, it's not an emergency," he pointed out.
Trustees agreed to table the proposal to repair the road until the next meeting and to ask Road and Cemetery Superintendent Chris Maleski to ask for one or two more quotes.
Woolf also read a letter from an unnamed family thanking th township for repairing broken tiles in the ceiling of the mausoleum, where their relative is buried, in Arlington Cemetery and offer to assume the cost.
Than next meeting of the board of trustees will take place at 5 p.m. on Sept. 10 in the township building at 8207 Arlington Rd.
The sales tax increase of 0.25 percent, for a total of 7.5 percent, is intended to make up a $9 million gap in the county's 2019 budget and will generate an additional $19.1 million for the county. The resolution asked that 5 percent of this money be shared with Butler, Clay, German, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Miami, Perry and Washington townships.
"That's about $95,000, split among nine townships," Trustee President Dave Vore quickly figured out. "I'm disappointed that the county didn't approach the townships and passed this without a citizen vote. We weren't able to pass the fire levy because our citizens feel taxed out. This money should have been passed downs."
Trustee Steve Woolf pointed out that the sales tax more than makes up the budget gap.
Trustee Jeff Requarth said he thought five percent was low and wanted to make sure it would be shared equally among the townships, but refrained from amending the resolution to provide solidarity among the townships.
The trustees also asked Fiscal Officer Brad Limbert if the township could setup electronic payments of several regular bills. In the past, some problems had arisen either because of holidays or because they had arrived after the last trustee meeting of the month and were due before the trustees could authorize payments at the next meeting. In some months, such as August, two Mondays occur after the last meeting of the month.
Limbert explained some of the vendors would not accept electronic payment but said if the trustees would agree he would try to authorize automatic withdrawals from township accounts.
The township has received all the paperwork to take over administration of the Lutheran Church Cemetery in Phillipsburg. The Emmanuel Lutheran Church is no longer able to administer the cemetery, and under th e Ohio Revised Code the township become responsible.
Woolf presented a quote for patching and paving Lutheran Road from Fernwood Drive to the cemetery.
Requarth asked why there was only one quote.
"After all, it's not an emergency," he pointed out.
Trustees agreed to table the proposal to repair the road until the next meeting and to ask Road and Cemetery Superintendent Chris Maleski to ask for one or two more quotes.
Woolf also read a letter from an unnamed family thanking th township for repairing broken tiles in the ceiling of the mausoleum, where their relative is buried, in Arlington Cemetery and offer to assume the cost.
Than next meeting of the board of trustees will take place at 5 p.m. on Sept. 10 in the township building at 8207 Arlington Rd.