Township finalizes new budget plan

DINGMAN — “I am extremely pleased our township has been able to keep our homeowners 2009 property tax increase to just $.006 on each dollar of assessed valuation,” said Dingman Supervisor’s Chair Tom Mincer. The proposed 2009 township budget was approved by the supervisors on Dec. 16. Mincer congratulated Township Secretary/Treasurer Karen Kleist for her hard work in getting all the financials in order for review by the board. “Other municipalities are suffering and our municipal departments have managed to keep their budget requirements in line. I hope we’ll be able to pull ahead and hold the line so we’ll be able to increase any additional funds they may need later in the year,” said Mincer. They will continue without Myer and Myer, their Milford accounting firm. The firm has been doing township work for 16 years and will no longer do municipal work. Myer & Myer recommended Kirk Summa & Co. LLP of East Stroudsburg to take over the accounting work. Myer & Myer had been charging $3,100 and Summa expects this to increase to possibly $3,600. In other business the Milford Fire Department reported answering 382 calls this year of which 166 were in Dingman Township. Milford has also purchased a new fire engine and department volunteers are being trained on its many new features. Milford EMS answered 595 calls this year, 218 of those were in Dingman Township. “We had 355 people come to our Breakfast With Santa recently. This is a record number,” reported Fire Chief Bill Mikulak. “We were so crowded we had to borrow extra chairs from Gold Key Lake to accommodate all the people and we thank them for helping us out.” Mincer thanked both the Milford and the Dingman departments for all the work they do all year long. “We need to thank some people who are often left out,” Mincer added noting the two local newspaper reporters and the television crew who cover their board meetings. “They give the public an insight into the workings of their local town government. I want to thank them for the work they do also,” said Mincer.