The Amity Township Board of Supervisors unanimously approved on Nov. 18 to advertise its 2016 $4.183 million budget with no tax increase.
Supervisors Terry L. Jones and Dave Hackett were absent from the meeting.
Taxes will remain at 1.95 mills.
Properties with an assessed value of $100,000 pay an annual tax bill of $195.
Included in the budget is a total annual allocation of $16,500 to the Boone Area Library, Birdsboro.
The board unanimously approved to increase the library’s subsidy by 10 percent, from $1.19 to $1.31 per township resident, which adds $1,500 to the previous distribution of $15,000 for a total of $16,500.
“The population is much larger, and our per person contribution is considerably lower,” said Supervisor Richard L. Gokey.
Based upon the 2010 U.S. Census data of 12,583 Amity Township residents, the $16,500 amount is a per person contribution of $1.31.
That amount is less than the $1.50 per person amount ($18,675) requested by library directors, but appreciated nonetheless.
New library director Amy C. Resh, and Amity’s Board of Trustee representatives Matt Lamm and Jennifer Harding, thanked the township supervisors for their continued support in helping to provide a “safe and comfortable social hub” for library patrons.
Lamm said the Borough of Birdsboro and Union Township have also approved their annual allocations for 2016.
“It has been seven years since Amity has increased its subsidy from $10,000 to $15,000,” said Gokey, referring to the five-year contribution match that originated with J. P. Mascaro & Sons, Birdsboro.
“We recognize his generosity, which kept the doors open when state funding was reduced,” said Lamm, adding that Pat Mascaro also provided funds for a new roof.
“We continue to thank you for your support,” said Lamm.
Personnel from the Amity and Monarch fire departments are analyzing their accident data to determine the percentage of accidents when electrical wires have been down, victims trapped, how many fatalities have resulted, and Met-Ed’s response time.
“Met-Ed was asked to attend last night’s meeting, and they said a 90-minute response was okay,” said Amity Fire Chief Michael Zomolsky.
He said the Nov. 17 Berks County Zones 5 & 6 meeting — a monthly meeting of 15 fire companies — and held at the Earl Township Fire Company, yielded no answers from the Met-Ed representatives.
“It was the same dog and pony show,” said Zomolsky. “I’m fed up with the fire police out in the middle of the night for hours. They [Met-Ed] is abusing the free labor, and there are safety concerns for the people in the incidents and fire police.”
“Some fire police use their own vehicles, some are out there for six to seven hours, and to me that’s unfair.”
“We call UGI [Utilities, Inc.,] and they’re there — within a half-hour they’re on the scene,” said Robert Kline, assistant chief at the Monarch Fire Department.
