The Lower Towamensing Township supervisors approved the preliminary budget Tuesday night. The budget includes no increase in the township’s real estate taxes.

“We felt with our expenses and revenue, it wasn’t the time to raise taxes,” said Brent Green, the chairman of the supervisors.

Green said the supervisors wanted to hold the line on the taxes while the pandemic is still going on and the township can keep the status quo.

Green said the township has not given a real estate tax increase in 16 years.

The township’s total expenditures for 2022 are expected to be $771,251.82. The revenue is expected to be $1.4 million.

The township’s taxes include:

• General mill tax: 1.6 mills

• Fire tax: 0.75 mills

• Light tax: 45 cents per front foot (Applies only to properties located within 250 feet of a streetlight.)

• Water tax: 0.4 mills (Applies only to properties located within 780 feet of a fire hydrant.)

• Real estate transfer tax: 1% of the selling price

• Earned income tax: 1%

• Local services tax: $52

• Per capita tax: $5

Also at the meeting, Green announced that Kirk Summa and Co. LLP completed an audit of the township’s finances for 2020 and there were no outstanding findings.

The supervisors then approved hiring the same accounting firm to perform the township’s audit for 2021 after the year concludes. The cost will not exceed $10,000.

A final vote on the budget will be taken at a public meeting at 7 p.m. on Dec. 29.