Forward Township approves budget amid confusion

Supervisor Dave Magiske has rescinded the resignation that he announced in November.

Forward Township has agreed on a spending plan this year — though it’s a bit confusing whether or not there’s a tax increase.

The spending plan projects revenue at $1.56 million and expenses around $1.34 million.

It also projects around $316,000 in revenue from taxes, nearly double what was collected in 2024, meaning the millage rate would increase from 1 to 2 mills.

The process hasn’t been smooth this year.

Typically, the budget is prepared by Supervisor Dave Magiske with help from staff.

Magiske resigned in November for health reasons, and the process to fill his position has been as contentious as budget talks leading up to Monday’s reorganization meeting.

But to the surprise of many, Magiske joined supervisors and announced he had rescinded his resignation before it was formally accepted by law Friday.

He still hadn’t been included in budget talks this year because of his brief absence.

According to Pennsylvania law, a second class township budget must be adopted by the Board of Supervisors by Dec. 31 each year.

Chairman Tom DeRosa and Dave Levdansky met to discuss the budget Dec. 30, but the meeting became heated and was abruptly adjourned by DeRosa without passing or rejecting the proposed $1.3 million spending plan that could nearly double real estate taxes.

At that meeting, Levdansky tried to talk finances, but DeRosa said he had other opportunities to do so and didn’t reach out to discuss the budget ahead of time.

Levdansky offered to draft a new spending plan, but ahead of Monday’s meeting DeRosa claimed he hadn’t talked to Levdansky to discuss it further and had not seen a new spending plan.

Levdansky told the Mon Valley Independent Saturday that he kept his word and did draft a new spending plan that’s balanced and would not raise taxes.

He said he reached out to DeRosa to inform him of the proposal Friday evening and ask to meet to discuss it, but DeRosa did not reply.

Copies of Levdansky’s plan were passed out to those who attended Monday night’s meeting, along with a direct comparison to DeRosa’s plan that was initially proposed and included raising taxes to 2 mills.

DeRosa claimed previously that just because the proposed budget included a tax increase doesn’t mean he intends to vote for it.

On Monday, during a regular meeting after reorganization, DeRosa made a motion to approve the budget for 2025 as advertised.

Levdansky asked for a discussion before a vote was taken, and he was told to keep it short.

“I handed out to a lot of you, a side-by-side comparison of the proposed budget by Tom and the budget I am offering,” he said. “There are a few major differences. The budget we are voting on right now as it is contains a 100% increase in property taxes …you (DeRosa) are proposing generating $316,000 in tax revenue. In this township, 1 mil generates about $160,000. Two mills would generate $316,000. That is a 100% increase, and there is no reason to raise property taxes in this township.”

Levdansky explained that his spending plan includes $250,000 for the boat ramp and another $150,000 in grant revenues.

He also pointed out that his proposed budget includes funds for Sadler Hollow Road.

“We can have a budget that reflects our township’s needs and priorities and does so within our fiscal means without raising taxes,” Levdansky said.

DeRosa said he waited all week for Levdansky to reach out to go over a spending plan.

“I woke up Saturday and had a text message sent to me on Friday night at 9:30,” DeRosa said. “He asked to go to Hill’s for breakfast to discuss the budget, but that’s not the world I live in. I don’t want to discuss the budget at Hill’s restaurant. I want to discuss it in that room back there or in this room right here. The budget I have right here is legal and has been advertised. If you want his budget, you’re going to have to wait.”

DeRosa said Monday that the tax rate should be set at 1.95 mills and that lowering taxes like they did last year was done out of spite to appease “idiots” in the audience who complained about fiscal responsibility.

DeRosa said he has never raised taxes in 29 years as supervisor, but it should be done.

“You are worried about 1 mill in Forward Township?” he asked. “The school has the highest taxes around. You have had low taxes since I have been here, but this is what it should be. You guys just don’t understand this place.”

He said the township has money tied up in funds that it can only use for certain circumstances.

“We have $2.5 million in the bank, but we can’t use it all,” DeRosa said. “Really, we have $1 million. If we have a disaster tomorrow, what will we do? I don’t think it’s too much to ask to pay 2 mills. I don’t want to raise taxes, but if we continue to move forward in this township they should be 1.95 mills. I lowered it to 1 mill out of spite because I had idiots in the audience screaming about fiscal responsibility.”

Levdansky said he was confused and asked if DeRosa had changed his mind and no longer wanted to raise taxes.

“I was condemned for lowering them, I try to be nice, but it should be 1.95 mills,” DeRosa said. He then made a motion to approve the budget he proposed with no tax increase.

To do that, supervisors would have needed to amend DeRosa’s proposed budget to reflect the decrease in project tax revenue.

“Then we have to amend the budget, because right now you have a budget based on 2 mills, without doing that it is certainly not balanced,” Levdansky said.

A back and forth with Solicitor Matt Racunas ensued on how to best move forward.

After reading the township code and admitting he had not seen either budget proposal, Racunas said based on the language of the law because the amended budget would reflect a decrease and not an increase of more than 10%, it would not need to be re-advertised for review and could be adopted.

Levdansky suggested amending DeRosa’s proposal to reflect the decrease in anticipated tax revenue and to post it for 10 days to be sure before taking a vote.

“We have a tax property rate of 1 mill and that’s where I want to keep it,” Levdansky said. “Amend your budget to keep it at 1 mill, show the accurate revenue, post it for 10 days and we can come back and adopt it. Follow the law and do it right.”

DeRosa agreed — sort of. “I want to pass this budget right here, and not raise taxes,” he said.

Without an amendment, that doesn’t seem possible but a roll call vote was taken to do just that.

DeRosa and Magiske voted to pass the budget as presented without amending the tax revenue, but keeping the millage rate at 1.

“We just passed this budget with no increase, you can all take me to court if you want and think I’m wrong,” DeRosa said.