HUBBARD TOWNSHIP - Despite a firm commitment from the state, township trustees recently set appropriations for 2009.
The township is looking at a budget somewhere between $1.8 million and $1.9 million, said Trustee Chairman Fred Hanley. Trustees are expected to approve the budget at their next regular meeting.
Hanley said that figure matches the township's budget for 2008, but trustees are treading lightly because they were told by state officials recently that the township may lose out on some its local government fund money from the state because tax collections statewide are down.
Hanley said the township received $200,000 in state assistance in 2008, so losing all or part of that money will be a blow to their coffers.
Additionally, the township is responsible for matching funds for several Issue 2 road projects this year and the road department has been hit by rising salt and blacktop costs, Hanley said.
By law, permanent budgets for 2009 must be set by April 1. They set a temporary budget on Jan. 19, Hanley said.
''We just have to be careful and be economically efficient whenever we can,'' Hanley said.
The township may also try to take advantage of federal stimulus money through the Community Oriented Police program, more commonly known as COPS.
The program gives grant money to municipalities across the country to hire officers. Under the stimulus, more COPS money is being made available and some of the rules of the grants are also being changed under the stimulus to allow those municipalities a one time waiver of the normal rules and allow them to use the funds to retain officers as well as hire them.
Trustee Joe Gleydura said the township has not hired any officers for a few years and a couple of officers are also getting close to retiring, so with extra COPS money being available, now might be a good time to look at using that program, Gleydura said.
Gleydura said the township used the COPS program in the past to hire other officers.