By Matthew Fleishman, Yardley News Editor

It took until Feb. 3, but Lower Makefield Township finally has a 2010 budget.

The budget won’t increase property taxes, but will include a $52 local services tax for residents who work in the township, and, according to some, leave no margin for error as the pared-down budget takes the township out of safe harbor and reduces funding for public safety.

“At the cost of just over one dollar per month, we sacrificed the quality of our public safety for what amounts to be a political talking point,” said Supervisor Matt Maloney, who, along with Supervisor Greg Caiola, voted against the budget, which passed by a 3-2 vote.

On Dec. 9, 2009, the final budget was approved with a .75-mill Parks and Recreation tax increase, which would fund new sports fields and community park upgrades, and a .5-mill general fund increase. At the Jan. 4 re-organizational meeting, Supervisors Ron Smith, Pete Stainthorpe – who voted against the original budget – and newly-elected Dan McLaughlin voted to re-open the budget and repeal the Parks and Recreation increase.

Later in January, Smith and McLaughlin found $160,000 in additional cuts, which, through taking $90,000 from the township’s reserves, resulted in no property tax increase, but took $40,000 from the police budget, and could take the township out of financial safe harbor.

“There was no cushion in our budget,” said Lower Makefield Township Police Chief Ken Coluzzi. “Anything we put in any line item is what we need to keep the public safe.”

Without that $40,000, which puts the police budget for 2010 at approximately $30,000 less than what was spent on police and public safety in 2009, Chief Coluzzi said that he might not have room in the budget to be as responsive to the supervisors’ requests this year. In 2009, residents’ requests, such as increased patrols to slow cut-through traffic on West Ferry Road, which were done at the direction of the board of supervisors, might not be possible with the decreased police budget.

“At one point, 20 percent of the police budget was flexible,” said Chief Coluzzi. “Now it is 5 percent. It’s getting so low that it is ridiculous. Now we are at the point where I might have to turn to the board and say ‘just a second.’”

At one point, a resident questioned the board as to whether “anyone talked to” Chief Coluzzi before chopping his budget.

Supervisor Caiola, who voted for the Dec. 9, 2009 budget, but not in favor of the Feb. 3, 2010 budget, said during the meeting that he had concerns about the budget, and then even more concerns about the lack of police funding, despite needing to hire three replacement officers.

“Between the cuts and safe harbor, I’m very concerned about his budget, and I’m concerned about next year’s budget,” said Caiola. “We have cuts in here that don’t make any sense and will cut into our services.

“As for us having the money for those officers, I hope it is in the budget,” said Caiola. “Matt and I had voted for it.”

Supervisor Maloney said that the budget lacked “contingencies” and “room for error.”

“When [emergencies] happen, we can either not send the cop out or the fire truck out because we are close to budget, or we can blow passed the budget,” said Maloney. “We’ve left no contingencies. We’ve left no room for error.”

In addition to cutting the police budget, secretarial services for township commissions were reduced, funding for leaf collection was cut by $15,000, and repairs and maintenance for the Public Works Department were cut. Community Pride Day and the Veterans Day Parade were also sliced from the budget.

Despite repeated questioning about all of the budget cuts by township residents, Chairman Smith said, “I think we’re going to be fine.”

Earlier in the meeting, Smith tried to assure residents that the budget would not cut into township services, and that a tax increase is not necessary.

“Nobody is taking their services away from them,” said Smith. “Taxation is always an option, but it should be the last option.”

Many residents told Smith, along with Stainthorpe and McLaughlin – who voted in favor of the budget – that they did not believe they were getting the same services.

“You’re telling me that we’re going to pay the exact same fee, and I’m hearing that I might not get my leaves picked up in December…my police chief doesn’t have any flexibility now,” said Geoffrey Goll, Environmental Advisory Council member. “What I’m hearing is that I’m not getting the same value for my dollar.

“As a government, your whole job is public safety,” continued Goll. “My police chief has less flexibility. I’m feeling less safe now.”

Supervisors Stainthorpe and McLaughlin defended their votes to re-open the budget and to approve the 2010 budget without a property tax increase.

“I think this is a very good budget and is the direction this township should be going,” said Stainthorpe. “Every single year we budget, and we come in under budget. There’s no reason we have to automatically spend more year after year.

“Having to do a budget in February is painful,” continued Stainthorpe. “Frankly, it would have been easier to say ‘you guys passed a budget with a 1.5-mill increase, have at it and I’ll beat you up at the next election.’”

During his comments, McLaughlin said that spending was not cut, just “rationalized.”

“I worked long and hard with my board of supervisors to get to a point where we aren’t cutting services, and not raising your taxes,” said McLaughlin. “I am never going to raise taxes until I’ve don’t everything I can not to.”

Before the budget was finally called to question, Caiola tried to get $9,000 added back into the police budget, but his amendment was rejected.

“I think it was a mistake to cut public safety without having a discussion with the chief,” said Caiola.