Snow taking a toll on Rostraver Township’s finances

By CHRISTINE HAINES
chaines@yourmvi.com

The frequent winter snow storms are taking a toll on finances in Rostraver Township, with additional salt costs and overtime expenses.
Township manager Jeff Keffer said he has had to borrow money from the reserve contingency fund to pay general fund bills until tax money starts coming in.
“We haven’t had a winter with salt usage like this since 2015,” Keffer said. “Things are going to be tight this year based upon how the first two months have been.”
While department heads are being asked to consider all expenses to determine whether they are wants or needs, the township is moving forward with normal budgeted expenses.
This is the first year the township has implemented a fire tax. While revenues from that new tax haven’t started to come in yet, bills that will be covered by that revenue are starting to come in. The Rostraver No. 1 (Webster) Volunteer Fire Department submitted a bill for $64,665 to the township for its annual fire truck payment. That bill will fall under those covered by the fire tax.
“We don’t have any fire tax revenue coming in yet, so we will have to use general fund money to pay this,” Keffer said.
The commissioners will be voting to pay that bill at their March 3 meeting. Board President John Lorenzo said both the general fund and the contingency fund will need to be repaid as tax revenue is received.
“We discussed this at budget meetings. With the coronavirus and a brutal winter, we anticipated this,” Lorenzo said.

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