Fiscal officer: Poland Twp. in good financial shape

POLAND

The township’s final 2015 budget features spending cuts paired with a slight increase in revenue from last year.

Appropriations for this year total $2.6 million, down from $3.4 million last year; 2015 revenue is estimated at $2.6 million, up from $2.5 million last year, not including carry-overs.

The township started out both years with a fund balance of about $2 million.

Fiscal Officer Paul Canter attributes the cost savings mostly to lower health insurance costs, the timing of retirements and efforts to reduce spending on maintenance and repairs, for example.

“I like to be very conservative,” said Canter, who put together the township’s budget for the first time this year.

“I usually appropriate exactly what the revenues are. It’s possible it could go up later if we need it, but hopefully we don’t,” he said.

Although he’s trying to be conservative with township funds, Canter says the township is in good shape financially.

Read more about the situation in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.