East Whiteland Approves $10.4M Preliminary Budget

At its Nov. 14 meeting, the East Whiteland Board of Supervisors approved a preliminary budget for 2013 totaling $10,470,905.

Board chairperson Virginia McMichael said there was no plan to increase real estate taxes in the new budget. She cited the arrival of large corporations like Shire and Endo Pharmaceuticals as reasons for the municipality's fiscal strength.

"The net effect of that is substantial revenue coming into the township in terms of real estate transfer taxes, real estate taxes, earned income tax going forward," McMichael said. "This is very good news for our residents."

The budget takes $1 million out of the general fund and places it in a trust fund to pay future post-retirement medical benefits.

"Since we are in a strong fiscal position right now, what we are proposing is to set aside a separate fund to which we would contribute, and then we know that we will have money from which we can pay those retirement benefits moving forward," McMichael said.

The preliminary budget passed 2-0, with supervisor John Mott absent.