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Residents press Lebanon Committee on library share of taxes and $750,000 road grant status
Summary
During public comment, residents questioned whether the municipal library consumes 12.5% of the township budget and asked where a $750,000 federal road grant appears in township accounts; committee members urged residents to consult the CFO and explained the grant is reimbursable and subject to environmental review.
Residents used the Aug. 20 public‑comment period to press the Lebanon Township Committee for clarity on the municipal budget and an apparent federal grant.
Jan Gibbous said she had recalculated figures after hearing prior statements that the library takes up 12.5% of the budget. "At the last 2 meetings there were comments made about the library taking up 12 and a half percent of the budget," she said, then described her own arithmetic suggesting the library’s share is materially smaller. Committee members responded that the township receives about 12¢ of every tax dollar while schools and the county receive larger shares, and they recommended that the resident consult the CFO for a detailed breakdown: "I suggest the average person go see the CFO," one committee member said.
Another resident raised a separate concern about $750,000 noted in the congressional record for Lebanon Township road repairs and asked whether the money had been spent. The committee and staff clarified that the grant is reimbursement‑based (the township must spend funds and then submit invoices for reimbursement), that the money remains allocated and is subject to administrative conditions (including an environmental impact study), and that the spend‑by date discussed was 2031. "We don't get the money; we have to spend the money first and then get it reimbursed from the government," a committee member said.
Committee members invited follow‑up with the CFO and staff to reconcile calculations and to provide more documentation on where specific grant and budget lines appear in the township financial materials.
