LIMA — When it comes to looking back on this past year for the Perry Township Board of Trustees, sometimes no news really is good news.
After an end of year meeting Friday at the township house, Perry trustees reflected on 2016, eventually settling on the best word to describe how it has been for the township’s governing body.
“It’s been a very stable year,” trustee Kevin Cox said. “That’s the word, stable.”
That feat, in itself, was impressive, trustee Norman Capps noted, as local governments throughout the state have faced reduced funding from the state.
“We took several beatings from the state,” he said.
“We don’t even ask questions any more,” Cox added.
While previous economic downturns, particularly the 2008 recession, forced the township, among other entities, to tighten its proverbial belt, the township’s economic situation has changed to where trustees approved pay increases for several township employees, including an additional $1.50 per hour for police patrol officers, a $600 increase on the police chief’s yearly salary, a 53-cent raise on the road supervisor and worker’s hourly rate, an additional $1 per hour for full-time fire personnel and a $2,500 increase for the fire chief’s annual pay. All pay increases will take effect starting Jan. 13.
Trustee Greg Kessen credited each department for exercising the fiscal responsibility necessary to allow for these increases.
“They did a nice job of managing their particular functions throughout the year,” he said.
“There were many years when the workers got minimal increases,” Cox said.
The board hopes to see an equally stable 2017, noting that one of the first items on the new year’s agenda will be preparing to file the necessary paperwork for two township Fire and EMS levy renewals. The 1 mill and 1.5 mill levies were first passed in 2007, each with terms of five years. Township voters are expected to vote on renewing these two levies in next year’s primary election.
.neFileBlock {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
font-size: 85%;
}
