Road work ups Richfield Township budget

By Monica Dufour
INDEX Staff Writer
RICHFIELD TWP. — Richfield Township Supervisor Jim Jacques said this is the first year in a while that the township will have to transfer money from its fund equity to balance the budget.
Jacques anticipates the 2008/09 budget to be $2,156,523. In order to make the budget balance, he said they will transfer $130,082.04 from fund equity.

He said the budget is based on an general fund operating millage of 0.8836 mills and 0.4735 mills for fire operations.

This year’s budget is about $54,699.86 more than last year’s budget of $2,101,824. Jacques said road repairs of about $103,000 is what contributed to this year’s budget increase.

“Eighty thousand of it’s on Henderson Rd. for re-limestoning. Another $23,000 is in the third chloride (treatment) this year. The rest of it is miscellaneous,” he said.

“Is there any way the overspending can be trimmed?” resident Betty Bingham asked.

Richfield Township Clerk Lisa Holmes asked Bingham if she wanted the township to give up road work. That’s where it’s coming from,” she said.

“I’m doing more roads this year than I ever have in the history of my tenure in this township, and I’m not running for re-election,” Jacques said.

“That’s where the bulk of our money that we’re spendinng, over and above what we’re taking in, is going to roads. We get complaints about roads, and then we’re over budget, and we shouldn’t be spending it,” Holmes said.

Jacques said the cost of gravel has increased over the years. “We used to do a road for $21,000-$22,000, now we’re looking at $40,000.”

One resident suggested trimming the budget to be able to meet further road repairs.

“I would hope the next board would be as diligent as I have been,” Jacques said. “I have projected in the last six or eight years taking money out of the (fund equity) budget. I have to, by law, present a balanced budget. I know it’s going to happen this year, but I have never taken money out,” he said.
The board will vote on their budget at 4 p.m. June 26 at the township hall, 5381 N. State Rd. The meeting is open to the public. Details: 810-653-3564.