Forward Township approved its 2025 budget this month with no increase in property taxes.

The township expects to run a balanced budget next year, with revenues and expenditures estimated to come in at $1,671,945.

Bucking the trend of inflation across the country, this is $227,202 less than the estimated revenues and expenditures were for the 2024 budget.

“I am happy to report that the budget process was very uneventful and smooth,” said township Supervisor Mark Wilson. “This fact is largely the result of excellent preparatory work and coordination on the part of township manager Tom Hartwig, secretary/treasurer Lindsey Berry, and Charles Behm and Phil Chips of the public works department. The board of supervisors were very pleased with the proposed budget and feel that it meets the needs of our residents in an efficient and cost-effective manner.”

As with most municipalities in Butler County, most of the revenues are expected to come through taxes, with $792,263 expected to come through “enabling act” taxes, and another $163,795 estimated from real estate taxes. Forward Township’s tax rate is 2.78 mills, along with a fire tax of 1.5 mills. Neither will be raised for 2025.

The township expects $167,624 in Act 13 gas well impact fees and $186,540 in liquid fuels grants.

Wilson said the lower amount of expected revenues is due to an anticipated reduction in grant money from the Butler County Conservation District’s dirt and gravel road maintenance program.

“A number of our township roads have benefited from this program over the past several years and these projects were largely funded by grants from that program,” Wilson said. “The funds within the budget devoted to this program are slightly less, as the number of those roads within the township qualified for the program are now reduced as a result of previous projects.”

The public works category takes up half the township’s projected expenditures for 2025, at $847,413. This is still less than the more than $1 million that was budgeted last year, as the township is budgeting less for a road works project on Wonderland Park Road and Glade Run Road, which is funded by the maintenance program.

“Improvements to Wonderland Park Road and completion of an ongoing project on Glade Run are proposed under this program,” Wilson said.

Wilson added that, in addition to regular road maintenance, the township plans to do at least two road improvement projects, which he said “will hopefully be completed during the coming year.”

The 2025 public works budget includes $304,756 for road maintenance and repairs, $42,380 for snow removal supplies and $68,000 in wages for road master Charles Behm.

Another $298,905 is budgeted for “general government,” which includes the salaries for the township manager, the board of supervisors and other key positions, as well as building and supply-related expenses. The public safety category will take up another $175,964.

Meanwhile, Forward Township still pledges to donate all revenues from the local service tax to the three EMS providers that serve the township — Quality EMS, Harmony EMS and Butler Ambulance Service. Those revenues are expected to come out to $25,764 in 2025.

The township’s finalized budget is available for public review online at the township website, forwardtwpbutlerco.us.