Getting a budget passed in Lansing may be a rough proposition, but Oxford Township had no problem approving one last week.
Budgets equalling $10,122,434 and property tax rates totalling 9.8572 mills for the 2008 fiscal year were okayed by township officials.
The overall budget amount represents almost a $900,000 increase over the total originally adopted in October 2006 for the current fiscal year. The total millage rate decreased by 0.05 mill.
For the 14th consecutive year, the township will levy 0.95 mill to support its general fund operating budget, which was approved at $1,829,000.
The operating millage is paid by all township property owners including those residing in the village. One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value.
The salaries for the supervisor ($59,265), clerk ($49,346) and treasurer ($49,346) all remained the same for 2008 as did the pay for all township employees with the exception of the fire department.
Fire employees, both full-time and paid-on-call, got a 3 percent raise across-the-board. Last year, the department took no pay increases.
A $2,203,250 budget was approved to support the township’s police services contract with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Dept.
Township residents living outside the village will pay 2.9152 mills for police services.
Village residents don’t pay this township tax because they have their own police department funded through an 11.12-mill levy that supports the entire village government.
A total of $1,349,897 was approved for the fire/EMS operating budget funded by a 1.5-mill tax rate.
Advanced Life Support medical services provided by the fire department will be funded by a $1,102,065 budget supported by a 1-mill tax.
Both fire millages were approved by township and village voters in May 2005. Property owners in both municipalities pay both millages.
A $1,765,050 budget was approved to support the township’s Parks and Recreation Department. It will be funded by a 0.8538-mill tax.
The Oxford Public Library will have a $1,302,957 budget to work with next year funded by a 1.3982-mill tax.
Also adopted by officials were nine individual budgets, which consist of monies set aside for specific purposes. Those funds include:
n Cemetery Maintenance ? $69,582
n Telecommunications ? $30,600
n Police Narcotics ? $4,843
n Building Permit ? $102,044
n Safety Paths ? $43,800
n Building and Site ? $129,100
n Fire Fund ? $78,996
n Police Fund ? $87,750
n Road Fund ? $23,500
Of the two millage rates approved by voters to retire bond debts incurred by the fire department and library, one remained the same, while the other decreased.
For the second year in a row, a rate of 0.41-mill was approved to help pay off the library’s bond debt.
A rate of 0.83 mill (a decrease of 0.05 mill) was approved to help pay off the fire department’s bond debt.
Of the total 9.8572-mill rate approved, 6.942 mills will be levied against all township properties, including those in the village.