Board of Supervisors Budget Workshop Meeting

The Moon Township Board of Supervisors held a budget workshop on October 21, 2024, focused on the 2025 draft budget. The police chief presented a request for additional personnel and a K-9 program. He stated the department currently has 31 working officers and ideally needs 36, plus a third School Resource Officer for the Moon Area School District, totaling 37. He noted the district currently pays 65% of SRO costs. The Board discussed sharing services with neighboring communities and the effectiveness and costs of a K-9 program. Following discussion on the 2025 budget, supervisors debated trade-offs between hiring new officers and preserving the road paving budget. Initially budgeted at $1.5 million, paving was discussed as a potential cut to $1.25 million to fund new hires. A supervisor made a successful motion to keep the road paving program at $1.5 million and budget for 33 total police officers (up from 31), which passed 4-1. A supervisor dissented, preferring $1.4 million for roads. The Board decided to hire no additional SRO. The assistant township manager presented projected 2025 fund balances, including a projected general fund cash balance of approximately $8 million as of December 31, 2024. She reviewed the ARPA, stormwater, short-term borrowing, capital reserve and liquid fuels funds. She will present a final recap of the proposed 2025 budget at the October 30 workshop meeting. The meeting adjourned at 7:23 p.m.