MAHANOY CITY - The number of members of the Mahanoy Township Planning Commission will be reduced from seven to five through an ordinance adopted by the township supervisors.
Ordinance 2013-3 was adopted by the supervisors at their Thursday meeting.
"Basically all this ordinance does is the reduction of the planning commission," solicitor Eric Lieberman said before the vote. "The supervisors have decided to reduce it to five members."
In 2006, the planning commission board was increased to seven members.
The ordinance states that the commission will be reduced through attrition. As terms expire, no new appointments will be made until five members remain.
In other business, the supervisors formally adopted the 2014 operating budget that includes no increase in real estate taxes, keeping the current rate at 9.09 mills. Chairman James Stevens, Vice Chairwoman Sharon Chiao and Supervisor Timothy Bradbury voted in favor.
The budget estimates revenue from taxes - real estate, LST, per capita, earned income and realty transfer - at $289,200, and licenses and permit fees, fines and interest income at $16,000. Additional funds will come from other sources, including $36,000 from wind turbines, for an overall total of $355,445.
General fund expenditures total $354,235.15, leaving a surplus of $1,209.85. The expenditures are broken down as follows:
- General government: $141,183.08
- Public safety (police salaries and expenses, fire protection, planning/zoning/code enforcement): $107,781.35
- General public (sanitation, professional services; road crew wages and supplies, sewer enforcement, parks): $105,270.72
The liquid fuels budget is $79,259.53 in revenue and $79,218.68 in expenditures, leaving a surplus of $40.85.
The reorganization meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 6.