2019 Budget Adopted

The Lower Providence Township Board of Supervisors adopted the 2019 budget at its December 6, 2018 public meeting. 

As part of the 2019 Budget, the Township established an Emergency Services Fund and instituted .32 mils of dedicated Real Estate Millage.  Expenses included in this new Emergency Services Fund are: $200,000 contribution to the Lower Providence Fire Department; $67,000 contribution to the Lower Providence Ambulance; $110,000 allocated for fire hydrant assessment costs; $48,000 to cover the worker’s compensation costs for volunteer fire fighters; and about $50,000 associated with the part-time Fire Marshal position.

 As illustrated in recent state and county studies/reports and noted in the fall Township newsletter, the volunteer fire company model is struggling in Pennsylvania. In fact, a recent Pennsylvania report states “Fire and EMS are in a crisis – right now.  Simply put, EMS is woefully lacking funding and the number of volunteer firefighters has fallen dramatically over the decades.  This is not new and has been highlighted in reports from 1976, 2004 and 2013 amongst many others.”  Thankfully, the Lower Providence Fire Department is surviving and its volunteer numbers seem to be stable.  So, by establishing this dedicated funding, the Township continues to show its long-term support of the volunteer Fire Department and the important and cost-effective services it provides the citizens of Lower Providence.

The $10,311,554 General Operating budget is balanced, albeit utilizing a small portion of the Fund Balance Reserves. The Township critically reviewed the General Fund and the 2019 budget is approved to meet the needs of the community without any excess expenditures. As we move forward in 2019, a more detailed analysis will occur in order to propose a long-term plan to address the structural deficiencies in the General Fund as well as address the funding of the Township’s capital expenditures in the future.  The Township will look to establish a plan to address the rising costs of our core services which include police, fire, emergency medical, roads and public works and how we fund those costs.

Capital purchases and projects planned for 2019 include Eagleville Park playground equipment ($95,000 – paid for by development fees); computer technology upgrades ($7,200); Police radios ($35,780); Police vehicles ($109,000); storm water piping repairs ($19,000); Business Park Sidewalk Project ($100,000 grant and $20,000 Township contribution) and continuation of the Township’s road paving program ($442,235).  These projects/purchases are funded through the Capital Projects Fund, the Parks and Recreation Capital Fund and the Liquid Fuels/Highway Aid Fund.