Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
MEMBERS of the Marenisco Township Board of Trustees study the new fiscal year budget on the evening of March 29, when they voted to adopt it. From left are Clerk Donna Kenney, Dave Hagen, Supervisor Bruce Mahler and Kelly Dunbar. The new budget took effect on Monday.
MARENISCO TOWNSHIP - Members of the Marenisco Township Board of Trustees voted to approve their new fiscal year budget on March 29.
Estimated revenues for the new budget, which started Monday, are $1,275,400, and estimated expenses are $1,109,950, for a difference of $165,450.
The largest expense noted is $460,000 for the Marenisco Township Hall.
According to Township Supervisor Bruce Mahler, the "town hall" category includes expenses for the hall and grounds, the library and historical museum, equalization and assessing, attorney costs and Board of Review.
"We'll have to do some capital improvement this year," said Mahler, referring to the town hall category. The biggest issue, he said, is inflation.
He added that the separate budget category for "town board" - estimated at $115,000 - includes expenses such as senior meals, engineering services, dues and membership fees, office supplies, utilities, communications, travel and printing.
Other major expense categories include the township's McNitt fund for roads and sidewalks, which is listed at $125,000, and the police department budget at $100,000.
Mahler said that the township expects to get a new police car for Police Chief James Webber this year.
Other semi-major expenses include $40,000 for the Marenisco Township Volunteer Fire Department, $40,000 for trash removal, $36,000 for insurance, $25,000 for Parks and Recreation, and $16,000 for street lights, and wages for township officials. In addition, $2,000 is allotted for the cemetery, among a number of other expenses.
The major source of township revenue is taxes, listed at $625,000 for property taxes and $145,000 for other taxes, for a total of $770,000.
Other major revenue sources include reimbursements at $280,000 and state revenue sharing at $48,000, but other revenue categories such as solid waste income, rents, various fees and charges, and other items, also add to the grant total.
Mahler said that no state revenues are projected this year from the McNitt Act, which distributes state revenues for road and sidewalk work.
"We never know if we're going to get any money," said Mahler after the meeting. "We used to get money every year from McNitt. Since I took office (four years ago), it's been hit and miss."
The separate 2024-2025 water budget projects $96,220 in revenues and $78,300 in expenses, for a difference of $17,920.
The 2024-2025 sewer budget projects $75,000 in revenues and $40,800 in expenses, for a difference of $34,200.
The millage levy for the budget is 9.9750 mills, which is the same as the previous fiscal year.
In other news, trustees also voted to amend the previous fiscal year's budget from $1,171,690 to $1,264, 149 on revenues and from $898,450 to $1,028,792 on expenses.
The 2023-2024 water budget also was amended from $98,000 to $80,873, and the sewer budget was amended from $71,652 to $66,245.
Votes on both the new and old budgets were unanimous with Treasurer Kathy Leonard absent.
The board's next regular meeting will be on April 15 at 6 p.m. in the Marenisco Township Hall.
