Kiski Township to hold line on taxes

Kiski Township’s real estate taxes are set to remain at 4.5 mills for the coming year.

Supervisors are expected to give final approval to a $1.6 million budget at a special meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 28.

The proposed budget allots $283,000 for full-time police wages, $25,000 for part-time officers and $80,000 for the chief.

The overall expenditure for law enforcement services will be nearly $656,000, or roughly 40% of the budget.

North Apollo will pay the township $54,000 for police services. The Apollo-Ridge School District will pay the township $80,000 for two police officers at the district’s three campus schools.

Wages for the four-member public works crew will be $200,000.

Allotment toward pensions will be $70,000 for 2023.

Several residents questioned the police expenditure, with one citing the low crime rate in the township of 2%, according to available FBI figures.

Chief Lee Bartolicious said part-timers mainly will be used to fill shifts for times such as when a regularly scheduled officer is ill or is needed for a court appearance.

In a cost savings move, each police car will be provided with a fuel card. Bartolicious said he will be able to monitor fuel usage better with each car being assigned one of five fuel cards.

Officials said the public works department will use a single fuel card.