The proposed 2016 budget for Kidder Township will hold steady at 3.2 mills, but does include the 0.8 mill increase in the Emergency Services Tax, which was voted on earlier this month.

The increase from 1.45 mills to 2.25 mills was necessary to maintain 24-hour operations at the Lake Harmony Rescue Squad. The overall budgeted amount for the rescue squad went from $105,063 in 2015 to $267,563 for 2016. Under the new plan residents will no longer pay yearly subscription rates to the rescue squad.The remainder of the budget is similar to the 2015 budget with the exception of the category identified as General Government Admin. The township has been carrying money obtained from the sale of the sewage plant since 2014. In 2015 some of these funds were used to supplement the cost of upgrades to the township building. The majority of the work was completed under a grant but the township did spend $79,199 on the building.The 2016 budget assigns an additional $572,923.50 of the money to future projects."We are just earmarking these funds for future projects at this time," said township manager Lisa Klem. "We don't have any specific plans for spending this money at this time, but if a need arises, the money will be budgeted for it."Some of the items in on the list are stormwater management, parking lot expansion, walking/biking trail, and SALDO updating.A motion to advertise the budget was approved and the budget will be voted on at the next supervisors meeting.Also on the agenda Thursday evening was redistricting of the remaining two fire companies in the township. The township will now be divided along Route 80, with the area north of the highway being covered primarily by Lake Harmony Volunteer Fire Company and the area to the south being covered primarily by Albrightsville Volunteer Fire Company.The redistricting was necessary due to the de-certification of Kidder Volunteer Fire Company by the supervisors in September. The future of the Kidder Volunteer Fire Company is questionable at this time. The former treasurer, Amanda Devine was arrested on charges of unlawful taking and receiving stolen property stemming from the theft of over $30,000 from the fire company's relief fund. Devine's preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 2 in front of District Judge Joseph Homanko.