Jerome Township officials recently approved their 2023 budget, which includes notable revenue increases resulting from a bump in property taxes.
Fiscal Officer Robert Caldwell said, in total, the township will see a $763,000 increase in revenue generated by property taxes compared to 2022.
The 2022 final budget included $11,191,141 in revenue compared to $12,993,697 in the original 2023 budget – a $1.8 million jump.
Expenditures are slated to be up this year as well, jumping $2.9 million to $13,377,911 from $10,463,706.
Caldwell noted that the jump in expenditures is largely due to construction costs for Station 211, the Jerome Township Division of Fire’s second station, which will come in at $2.7 million.
Officials have previously said that the cost to construct Station 211 is covered by Nationwide Realty through an agreement made during the initial development of Jerome Village.
Caldwell added that the remaining $200,000 for expenditures includes increased health insurance costs, hiring six full-time firefighters once Station 211 is opened and payroll.
The board also approved a 4% increase in pay for employees of the Roads Division, Zoning Department and administrative staff.
Additionally, the trustees increased compensation for seated members of the Zoning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals from $75 to $100 a meeting.
While the proposed budget and pay raises were unanimously approved, one board member objected to costs associated with legal counsel.
Caldwell recommended the board appropriate $55,000 for legal fees from Brosius, Johnson and Griggs incurred in 2023. He said $5,000 will come from the general fund and $50,000 from the zoning fund.
Historically, the board has started the year by appropriating $25,000 for legal fees but has recently needed to approve additional appropriations throughout the year.
“In the past years we’ve always needed more than 25 (thousand dollars),” Caldwell said.
Trustee Barry Adler referenced a concern he shared with fellow board members during meetings in 2022, noting that he feels the trustees should create guidelines as to when private legal counsel is used rather than free services from the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.
Trustee Wezlynn Davis repeated her earlier disagreement in saying that she trusts the board and staff members to “use their discretion” to determine when the use of private legal counsel is appropriate. Trustee Megan Sloat agreed.
The motion passed 2-1, with Adler dissenting.
The trustees also decided who will serve in various capacities during their rescheduled organizational meeting.
Sloat, who served as chair for the past two years, said she would prefer not to continue in that role, and motioned to appoint Davis as chair. She was unanimously elected.
Adler was also unanimously elected to serve as vice chair for 2023.
Both Davis and Adler thanked Sloat for her service as chair and commitment to the township.
Davis will continue to serve as the cemetery sexton for 2023, as she said she would like to retain the role so she can see the completion of projects that were started last year.
Although Sloat recommended Office Manager Debbie Bollinger and Roads Superintendent Breht Fillinger take over the annual baseball lottery, during which schedules for use of the township ball fields is determined, Adler disagreed.
He said a policy proposed by Sloat in 2022 that requires department heads to submit written reports rather than attend trustees meetings was approved with the explanation that it was intended to allow staff to work less evenings.
Adler said he was comfortable continuing to conduct the lottery, as he did last year. Sloat and Davis concurred.
The trustees will continue to have regular meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7 p.m. in the Township Hall, 9777 Industrial Parkway. Sloat noted that a few meetings in 2023 will be moved due to the Fourth of July holiday and elections, but the rescheduled dates will be set in the future.