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A new mill rate will have Jackson Township residents digging into their wallets deeper in 2010.
On December 23, supervisors accepted a $1,090,816 budget which contains an increase to the mill rate from .6643 in 2009 to 1.32 for 2010. The mill rate is $1 for every $1,000 assessed tax value.
The earned income tax will remain at a half percent and the township has no per capita tax.
Supervisor Al Fox said the doubling of the mill rate was unfortunate but necessary to maintain all services, such as recycling, police, fire protection, snow plowing and road maintenance.
Fox broke down the numbers so residents could understand how their tax payments are divided between the county, school district, and their local municipality.
“For every dollar paid in on taxes, 60 cents goes to the school district, 35 cents goes to the county which leaves the township with just a nickel to pay for all services offered to residents,” he said.
Some of the driving forces behind the mill rate increase are reduced availability of grants, a 20 percent reduction in the liquid fuels money awarded to the township from the state, a 20 percent increase in ice and snow removal and $50,000 for road paving.
Fox said the supervisors are working in the best interest of the taxpayers and noted the township has received over one million dollars in grant funding in the past.
Chairman John J. Wilkes Jr. also blamed Luzerne County Commissioners and the ill-fated property assessments.
“This was a tough budget to pass,” he said. “I would like to thank county commissioners for the reassessments. If homes were assessed equally, we wouldn’t have to do this.”
Disgusted by the property assessments, Wilkes made a motion to allow township Attorney Jeffery Malak to check into the assessments. Motion was passed.
In other news, David Roskos was awarded a plaque for a total of 40 years of services on the Zoning Board and as a township supervisor. Roskos’ term as supervisor will end and newly-elected Tim Evans will step in.