West Penn Township will again hold the line on taxes next year by making cuts to several departmental budgets.

On a 2-1 vote, supervisors Monday morning agreed to make several cuts to the 2023 budget to give it a balanced spending plan. Supervisor Glenn Hummel was opposed.

Before the vote, board Chairman Tony Prudenti said there was a $100,043 difference in the budget.

Prudenti then proposed taking $50,000 out of the truck fund, $30,000 from the road department, and $10,000 each from the office and police department’s budgets.

Supervisor Tim Houser said that “in essence, the road crew is giving up $80,000.”

Hummel said he was against the action because the police department has gone three straight years without an increase.

Hummel added he believes that’s what the reserve is for.

“I know this wasn’t an easy one,” Prudenti said. “We’re very lucky here in West Penn.”

If the board agrees to adopt next year’s budget with no tax increase, it would leave the millage rate at 4.50 mills.

Supervisors plan to grant the budget final adoption when it meets at 10 a.m. Dec. 19.

Last month, the board heard a request for a 10% to 15% increase for the road department next year after Houser said he’d like to see the road department’s budget increase by that amount in 2023.

Township roadmaster Jeremy Frable said at that time the money would go toward the rising costs of fuel and road materials.

However, Prudenti said at that time the road department would see about a $90,000 increase in its budget if that request were to have been approved.

The board also discussed giving the township’s fire department $55,000 next year, along with its workers’ compensation, which Prudenti said comes out to about $75,000.

Supervisors appeared committed to giving the township ambulance department $45,000.

Don Hoppes, of Penn Mahoning Ambulance, asked if the ambulance department could apply for a Local Share Account grant for a vehicle.

Hoppes said the ambulance needs about $175,000 to $200,000 for a truck, and that even if it could order it right now, they’d be looking at two years until they would get it.