Penn Forest Township has passed its 2021 budget which increases funding for fire services and road construction.

The supervisors voted to pass a general fund budget at a special meeting on Dec. 28 with a property tax rate of 0 mills.

The general fund budget is balanced and has $1,506,583 in expenses.

The budget for public safety, which includes fire services, is set to increase by $100,025, due to payments for two new firetrucks the township purchased in 2020.

The budget for public works, which includes highways and streets is set to increase by $76,320. The cost of health insurance is budgeted to increase by $22,105.

Penn Forest Township is the only municipality in Carbon County that does not charge municipal property tax.

The majority of the revenue in the general fund comes from earned income taxes. The rest comes from other sources including real estate transfer taxes and cable TV franchise fees.

In addition to the general fund, the 2020 budget anticipates $257,953.87 in funding for road repairs from the state’s fuel taxes. The majority of those funds are designated for snow removal services.

The budget for the sanitation and refuse fund, which is used to operate the township transfer station, is $568,600.

The township will begin 2021 with $2.5 million in its general fund, $260,000 in its sanitation fund, and $0 in the liquid fuels fund. According to the township’s December financial report, it had a total of $8,934,492.51 on deposit in various funds.