Crystal Township Supervisor Curt McCracken reads the proposed 2020-2021 fiscal year budget to those in attendance of the June 10 budget hearing. The Crystal Township Board unanimously passed the budget after making a few minor adjustments. — DN Photo | Brandon Schreur
CRYSTAL TOWNSHIP — With some financial unknowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Crystal Township Board has approved its budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
On June 10, the board met for a special budget hearing before their regular meeting to go over the proposed 2020-2021 budget.
The budget sees the township collect revenues for $300,000 from the governing body, $90,000 from police, $105,000 from roads, $600 from NorWes, $35,000 from street lights and $105,000 from the fire department.
Included in the township’s expenses are $180,525 to the governing body, $133,320 to building and grounds, $71,300 to the Department of Public Works (DPW), $40,000 for streets, $125,000 for roads, $79,000 toward police and $93,640 to the fire department, among other items.
The board was also asked to accept the tax levy for the upcoming fiscal year, which includes .7365 mills to general operation, 1.1932 mills to roads, .9898 mills to fire and .9955 mills toward police.
Given that the township does not yet know what kind of revenue sharing they’ll receive from the state due to the pandemic, Clerk Patty Baker-Marek said there were still a number of unknowns.
“We need to approve a budget before the end of this fiscal year,” she noted. “That means we have to approve it before June 30. At any point after that, we can amend the budget to change anything. If we find out revenue sharing is higher than we thought, we can come back and adjust it.”
Noticing that training for board members was one of the line items cut down in the proposed budget, Treasurer Nancy Mills wondered if there was anywhere else money could be taken from.
“I realize that we didn’t use much in training because the big conferences were canceled, but we would have used that money if it was canceled. Personally, I disagree with (cutting those funds),” she said. “That’s my opinion, but I think training is very important. Basically, now all we can do for training is go to the (Michigan Township Association) dinner every other month.”
After further discussing why the township was budgeting $15,000 for legal fees when they only spent approximately $4,000 on said fees last year, Mills wondered if some of those funds could move elsewhere.
“You can move it anywhere,” Baker-Marek answered. “I think training is valuable, I’m just concerned about the budget. We had to cut somewhere. (Supervisor Curt McCracken) and I talked about it and we just didn’t know where else to cut.”
“I understand that we don’t know where revenue sharing stands at this point, so I appreciate what you did,” Trustee Sherry Kutt responded. “Is it a possibility to revisit that once we have an idea what portion of revenue sharing we’re going to get?”
Baker-Marek said that was a possibility given that the budget can be amended at any point during the year.
“If there’s a training that’s really valuable that Nancy wants to go to, we can adjust that in a meeting,” Baker-Marek commented.
During public comments, DPW Manager Roger Gooding asked if the township budgeted money for a new DPW tractor.
“Can’t you rent one when you need one?” Mills asked. “Roger, we really don’t know how much money we’re going to have.”
“Nancy, I really don’t understand. We can budget ($23,700) to redo the tennis courts for a handful of people to play pickleball, but we can’t budget enough money for the DPW to have decent equipment to work with?” Gooding countered.
“Can’t you rent one when you need one?” Mills asked again. “Do you use it every day? And you’re being kind of nasty. Let’s not be nasty.”
“I’m not being nasty, I’m just asking a question,” Gooding said. “That’s the problem, I don’t get an answer. For the last five years, I’ve asked this board — and not only this board, but previous boards — about it. You’re going to have to do something about getting a new tractor. The same thing happens every time. It just flies out the window.”
Gooding said the current DPW tractor’s hydrostatic transmission pump doesn’t have any power — an issue which McCracken estimated would cost approximately $6,000 to repair.
“It works, it just doesn’t have any power,” Gooding said. “To answer your question, yes, I could probably go rent one, but I’m going to waste time running back-and-forth to Sheridan doing so.”
Gooding suggested the township looks into financing a new tractor over the next five years.
“We could pay it quarterly, semi-annually or annually,” he said. “It’s a lease program so after the five years are up, we’d own it.”
Baker-Marek said the board could put $8,000 in the equipment budget as they start researching what kind of tractor they’d purchase and what leasing options come with it, which was met with agreement from the rest of the board.
“Just because it’s in the budget doesn’t mean we have to go right out and buy it or spend that much,” she said.
McCracken also mentioned they could look into trading in the current tractor for a new vehicle.
With no further comments from the audience, the Crystal Township Board unanimously passed the 2020-2021 fiscal year budget with the changes made during the budget hearing.
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