Taxes

The Township Council on April 14 approved purchases totaling $193,440. Beyer Brothers of Fairvew won contracts for two GMC half-ton pickup trucks, for a total of $73,440.

The Township Council on April 14 extended leases it holds with a township resident on several pieces of farmland. The leases were renewed with George Manioudakis.

The Township Council April 14 gave its final blessing to a $57.2 million spending plan for 2015. The budget is powered by a $37,388,103 tax levy, up about $1.1 million from the 2014 tax levy.

Updated: Here are the candidates for the open Board of Education seat: John Kinghorn, Weston Road Laurie Merris, Wilson Road Joshua Ruszkiewicz, Fir Court Richard Seamon, Rue Chagall C. Kelly Zehr, Ari Drive. The candidates will be interviewed by the board during a special meeting at 7 p.m. on April 13.

A plan that would temporarily close New Brunswick Road to replace an aging bridge was endorsed March 10 by the Township Council. The council voted to push the “preliminary preferred plan” to replace the Al’s Brook bridge, which carries New Brunswick Road close to the Cedar Grove Lane intersection.

Hikes in stipends for two of the township’s four fire districts were approved March 10 by the Township Council. Fire districts have their own budgets, but the council must approve some items, such as commissioners’ stipends.

Township police may one day wear body cameras, Police Chief Lawrence Roberts said March 10. The chief, speaking to the Township Council, said he is researching body cams for the department.

Two leases with township farmers were extended Feb. 24 by the Township Council. The council voted to approve the second of two one-year extensions to Albert Puchalek for Catalpa Farm on Old Vliet Road. The farmland consists of 50 acres, with a fee of $51.25 per acre, or $2,562.50 for the year.

Update: The budget was introduced at the March 10 Township Council meeting. A public hearing has been set for April 14. Original Story: The $57.2 million township budget expected to be introduced next month will carry with it a 3 percent hike in the amount to be raised by taxes, the Township Council was told Feb. 24.

Members of the township Open Space Advisory Committee are willing to shoulder some of the cost of laborers to help maintain township parks, but they want the township to chip in, too. The committee on Feb. 17 voted down a suggestion from the Township Committee that it shoulder the entire $100,000 cost of two new laborers in the Department of …