ROSS TOWNSHIP 2018 BUDGET PROCESS AND DATES oss Township
ROSS TOWNSHIP NEWS
The 2018 Budget process has started , and resident ’ s input is welcome in determining how tax dollars will be allocated . Previous years ’ budget can be found on the Township ’ s website , in the Finance Department tab .
Local governments such as Ross Township use Fund Accounting or , in basic terms , split operations that provide different services to the community into separate Funds . Each Fund has their own Revenue and Expense Accounts that are budgeted at or near Revenue neutral . For Ross Township , the 3 main Funds are :
• General Fund ( or Operating Fund ): the General Fund is the largest Fund , which includes the general operations of the Township . Real Estate Tax , Earned Income Tax , Other Taxes , and Licenses and Permits are the largest Revenue sources , whereas the largest Expenses are Departmental Salary and Benefits , Pension Obligations , Debt Service , Insurance , and Operating Transfers .
• Sanitary Sewer Fund : the Sanitary Sewer Fund is considered an Enterprise Fund for the Township , as the Fund is to be funded primarily through user fees . Sewage User Fees are billed quarterly in the Township , and are based on a fixed Sewage Service Charge and a Sewage Treatment Charge based on water usage in the quarter . Rates are set annually by the Township and Allegheny County Sanitary Authority ( ALCOSAN ).
• Capital Fund : the Capital Fund allocates a portion of the annual Budget towards capital projects and equipment replacement . The Capital Fund is usually primarily funded by a transfer from the General Fund and supplemented by grants that match or cover corresponding expense appropriations within the Fund .
In August , the Township will also complete its second 5 Year Capital Improvement Plan . This is an important process to
46 Ross Township determining Capital Departmental needs for equipment and vehicle replacements , as well as nonrecurring projects in the Township . The 5 Year Capital Improvement Plan also attempts to identify funding for the Capital Fund Expenses .
Department heads build their individual budgets based on previous years ’ service levels , while having the opportunity to add requests for additional services they feel are needed to maintain or improve the resident ’ s quality of life . Current year ’ s revenues and expenses are evaluated and projected for the remainder of the year , while taking into consideration once per year Revenues and Expenses , as well as the local economy trends . Once all data is compiled by the Finance Department and recommended for approval , a Draft Budget will be sent to the Commissioners for their review and feedback .
The November 6th Committee Meeting will be the first Budget review session with the Draft Budget to the Public and Board of Commissioners . Recommendations made at the meeting will be reviewed by the Finance Department . If many changes are needed , an updated Draft Budget will be brought back to the Board in a specific Review Session the following Monday , November 13th . Final updates will be made to the Budget and presented at the November 20th Regular Meeting . The Board will then adopt the 2017 Budget , by Ordinance , at the December 4th ’ s Regular Meeting . The Budget document will then be posted to the website and available for review .
If you would like to see additional funding for a new service or less funding to a current service , now is the time to have conversations with the appropriate parties , whether it be the Department Head , the Township Manager , or your Ward ’ s Commissioner . Contact information can be found on the Township ’ s website : http :// www . ross . pa . us /
BUDGET