Lynn Township supervisors present 2025 draft budget, approve clothing allowance for part-time workers

Lynn Township Chairman Brian C. Dietrich on Wednesday presented the Board of Supervisors' first draft of the 2025 budget, laying out fund balances, proposed line‑item allocations and an illustrative 3% wage increase for staff.

The draft highlights available balances and targeted uses: the Recreation Fund holds $207,935.43, the Equipment Fund has $172,102.78 and the draft would add a $35,000 set‑aside to the Equipment Fund (raising its prospective balance to $207,102.78). Pension state aid this year was reported at $31,423.84.

The board reviewed General Fund designations that appear in the draft: $100,000 in the General Fund above Liquid Fuel money; $40,000 budgeted for truck and machine repairs; $25,000 for the zoning officer; $20,000 for solicitor fees; $50,000 for engineering fees; $30,000 for park expenses; $50,000 for Cetronia Ambulance; $10,000 for an outside audit firm; and $40,000 for road maintenance supplies. Treasurer Tammy M. White also identified an estimated $7,244 increase for health insurance and added 8% estimates for workers' compensation and liability insurance in the draft figures.

The board added an estimated $61,000 of recurring income to the draft from earned income, real estate, delinquent and transfer taxes. Supervisors said they removed numerous one‑time expenses from the expenditure side and noted that reinvesting certificates of deposit produced an estimated additional $20,000 in interest revenue.

Vice Chairman Frederick Najarian said he would examine options for investing a percentage of large reserve accounts such as the Equipment and Recreation funds to earn higher returns while keeping funds accessible.

On park funding, supervisors agreed earmarked donations should be applied to the park’s digital sign project. The board reviewed specific park earmarks: a $1,000 deposit refund, $1,350 from Powwow donations, $464.22 from the Class of 1964, $823.53 from the concession stand fund, $2,880.15 from car cruise proceeds and $16,532.10 remaining from earlier Nestle donations intended for park use.

Road Master Matt Henderson noted a well behind the park maintenance building and suggested installing a pump so staff can clean equipment there rather than at the front pump; Henderson said he will investigate the cost and feasibility.

On personnel items, Member Ronald Jerdon moved and Vice Chairman Frederick Najarian seconded a motion to include part‑time workers in the existing $300 annual clothing allowance previously allocated for full‑time road crew and park employees. The motion carried unanimously.

The board directed Secretary/Treasurer Tammy M. White to compile a 10‑year list of amounts given to each fire company (in addition to yearly donations and fire relief money) and a parallel list of income increases from taxes to provide context for budgeting decisions.

The meeting also included an accounting of the township's COVID‑era account, which showed a balance of $466,763.49 with listed past purchases for cameras, a salt shed, a truck and facility improvements. The transcript lists upcoming COVID‑account uses and notes that transfers from that account are used to pay for items so those transfers are not shown as separate line items in the draft budget.

The board said wages will be the subject of further discussion in an executive session. The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.

The draft budget will return for further review before final adoption; no final tax or wage decisions were made at this meeting.