On December 4, 2023, the Upper Providence Township (UPT) Board of Supervisors (BOS) voted unanimously 5-0 to adopt a 2024 operating and capital budget. The combined $39.38 million spending plan appropriates 60% or ~$23.49 million to operating expenses and 40% or ~$15.88 million in planned capital expenditures. The budget is balanced and includes no real estate tax increase. The 2024 mill levy will remain unchanged at 2.5 mills, which still remains among the lowest rates in Montgomery County for a full-service community.
The 2024 operating budget contains three major funding categories: General, Sewer and Capital. The General Fund (GF) is UPT’s main operating engine, funding all major municipal departments. These departments include police, fire/emergency services, public works, administration, parks, and planning/development. Information technology (IT) and finance were added as separate cost centers. The table below shows each cost center’s proportional share of the General Fund.
Cost Center | Budget | GF % |
Board of Supervisors | 232,219 | 1.02 % |
Administration | 1,177,682 | 5.18 % |
Finance | 479,908 | 2.11 % |
Information Technology | 510,546 | 2.25 % |
Tax Collection Services | 201,250 | 0.89 % |
Legal Services | 127,500 | 0.56 % |
Pooled Building Expenses | 1,215,500 | 5.35 % |
Police Protection | 7,216,974 | 31.76 % |
Fire and Emergency Services | 4,724,431 | 20.79 % |
Planning and Zoning | 775,050 | 3.41 % |
Public Works | 4,163,318 | 18.32 % |
Parks and Recreation | 956,721 | 4.21 % |
Transfers Out | 940,151 | 4.14 % |
The general staffing levels for each department remain fairly level. We added a new IT help desk technician to help manage a growing technological network of computers, software programs and cloud-based technologies in addition to increased cybersecurity protections, as UPT continues its transition to digital workflows. Where economically justified, the Township has privatized certain planning, finance and communication services to help streamline costs. Of the $22.72 million in GF expenditures, ~ $3.25 million entails departmental assessments to other capital funds, leaving ~ $19.47 million in net operating expenditures. These GF assessments are accounted for in the ~ $15.88 million Capital Budget, which represents a collection of different capital funds earmarked for specific projects. The next table shows each fund and their proportional share to the 2024 capital program.
Cost Center | Budget | GF % |
Capital Assessments | 1,272,292 | 8.01 % |
Internal Service Fund | 1,071,540 | 6.75 % |
Capital Expenditure Fund | 1,994,421 | 12.56 % |
State Liquid Fuels | 1,100,000 | 6.93 % |
Sewer Capital Fund | 2,722,000 | 17.14 % |
Stormwater Fund | 240,000 | 1.51 % |
Capital Financing | 5,000,000 | 31.48 % |
Park and Open Space Fund | 661,500 | 4.16 % |
Grants and Donations | 1,822,631 | 11.47 % |
Major 2024 capital initiatives include:
- ~ $7 million road pavement project divided into Projects A, B, C.
- New Geographic Information System (GIS) to improve digital workflows
- Procurement of new police technologies for license plate and body cameras
- New Police K-9 Unit for drug and bomb detection
- New communication and protective gear for firefighters
- Replacement of a 2007 bucket truck and related public works equipment
- Greenwood Avenue Sewer from Ridge Pike to College Avenue
- Anderson Farm Park Trail Extension
- Taylor Park Improvements
Last year’s capital budget included $19.5 million in awarded federal grants for flood mitigation projects in the Mont Clare and Port Providence neighborhoods of Upper Providence Township (UPT), which were devastated by Hurricane Ida in late 2021. After the 2021 presidential disaster declaration, 54 property owners expressed an interest in the buyout program. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has only recently begun releasing these funds. Because of these delays, 16 owners have withdrawn from the buyout program. As of late December, we will have purchased 24 homes with more scheduled during the holiday season. Once all these properties are razed, UPT officials will be developing a long-term plan passive recreation and environmental preservation plan for these reclaimed floodplains.
The Township’s ~ $4.3 million Sewer Fund serves as the billing agent for the Lower Perkiomen Valley Regional Sewer Authority (LPVRSA). While the Authority treats all UPT sewage effluent regionally, the Township is responsible for maintaining the local sewer collection system, which consists of ~ 115 miles of sewer pipe. Most homeowners are assessed one Equivalent Development Unit (EDU) and billed around $173 semi-annually. UPT still has one of the lowest sewer rates in Montgomery County. The full context of the 2024 Budget is available on the Township’s website at https://www.uprov-montco.org/DocumentCenter/View/2502/2024-Budget