Canfield officials OK temporary budget

Staff report

CANFIELD

Township trustees during a Tuesday meeting approved a temporary 2019 budget at $2,542,433, which is currently about $542,000 over anticipated revenue – but that’s just an early estimate, said fiscal officer Carmen Heasley.

The township’s end-of-year carryover balance is not included in the preliminary budget, said Heasley. Officials in July estimated it at about $4.3 million – about where the township ends each year – but that could be higher when trustees finalize the carryover amount in two weeks.

Trustees must finalize the 2019 budget by April 1.

“The closer to April 1 we get, the more finalized that budget gets and the more likely it’s going to be as close as you can get,” Heasley said. “We know we’re not spending all our money so we’re going to have a higher carryover.”

Officials have budgeted $115,000 out of the township’s $180,000 permissive fund for paving projects next year, as well as a variety of smaller projects, including catch basin repairs and one culvert replacement.

Heasley also recorded the township’s estimated $196,000 Ohio Department of natural Resources grant which will fund expansion of a bike trail, expected to cost $261,155.

In other business, trustees hired on Tuesday a full-time public works maintenance employee to replace a part-timer who resigned. The employee, whom Heasley said is currently a township snow plow truck driver, was hired at a rate of $15.09 an hour.