Brookfield Township’s municipal budget increased by 24 percent this year thanks to incremental increases in the various individual budgets and voters approving a 3.5-mill levy for road repairs and maintenance in November, which is expected to bring in $500,000.
The budget went from $5.4 million in 2022 to $6.7 million in 2023.
The budget already is inflated by the federal American Rescue Plan Act allocation of $870,000, which has not been spent.
Fiscal Officer Dena McMullin said she increased the appropriations in the ambulance and emergency service fund and plans to take more money from there and less from the fire district fund, both of which fund the Brookfield Fire Department.
The fire department has been successful in getting grants, but they usually require the department to purchase whatever the grant is for out of its own coffers first, and then seek reimbursement, she said. If the fire budget, where most of the department’s expenses have been paid from, can’t handle a large payment, McMullin has to ask the county auditor’s office for permission to use ambulance funds, she said.
“This will prevent me having to go back to the auditor every time you get a decent grant,” she said.
She also noted that the department is planning to buy a new fire truck, either sooner largely with Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, or later with its own funds, and lessening the demand on the fire fund will allow its balance to rise, making more money available for the purchase.
Here is a breakdown of the major fund appropriations in Brookfield Township’s 2023 budget, with 2022 numbers in parentheses:
- General fund, $635,674 (571,725). Unspent money from 2022 that carried over was $262,651.
- Motor vehicle license tax, which goes to the Brookfield Road Department, $133,224 ($102,065). Carried over money was $63,724.
- Gasoline tax, which goes to the road department, $261,290 ($215,290). Carried over money was $78,390.
- Road and bridge fund, which goes to the road department and includes the new levy proceeds, $883,659 ($373,702). Carried over money was $123,171.
- Cemetery fund, $121,102 ($99,740). Carried over money was $51,102.
- Lighting assessment fund, $21,906 ($21,743). Carried over money was $2,606.
- Police district fund, $1,116,000 ($1,028,600). Carried over money was $456,908.
- Fire district fund, $1,267,500 ($1,149,275). Carried over money was $268,065.
- Ambulance and emergency service fund, which goes to the Brookfield Fire Department, $763,500 ($401,000). Carried over money was $656,136.
- Senior citizen van fund, $1,273 ($2,432). Carried over money was $773.
- Local fiscal recovery fund (American Rescue Plan Act), $870,492 ($869,015). All of this money carried over from last year.
