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<p>PLAINS TWP. &#8212; Township commissioners unanimously passed the $9.3 million 2017 budget Thursday during the final meeting of the year at the Fox Hill fire station.</p><p>When the motion to pass the budget came up near the end of the meeting, Commissioner Gerald Yozwiak brought the motion to adopt the budget the floor and Commissioner Ciro Cinti seconded the motion.</p><p>The budget, which is balanced and holds the line on taxes, was first read and approved at the Nov. 10 meeting. The tax rate remains the same as this year at 1.77 mills &#8212; 1.662 mills for general purposes and 0.1080 for debt services. A mill is a $1 tax for every $1,000 of assessed value.</p><p>chairman Robert Sax said the millage rate has remained the same for more than five years.</p><p>The largest revenue source for the township is listed in the grants and gifts portion of the budget. Amounting to $4,552,172 of the $9,336,622 budget, or 48.7 percent, the biggest grant comes from Mohegan Sun Pocono casino and hotel complex.</p><p>&#8220;We want to thank Mohegan Sun for their fair share,&#8221; Sax said after the budget passed. In November, the casino told the township they <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/605875/mohegan-sun-pocono-agrees-to-pay-lsa-funds-to-plains-twp" target="_blank">will continue to pay local share tax funds</a> despite a September ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/598319/state-supreme-court-decision-to-halt-lsa-money-worryies-municipal-officials" target="_blank">declared the tax unconstitutional. </a>The court ruled that the tax, which goes to communities that have casinos, violated the state&#8217;s Uniformity Law because it taxes under-performing casinos more.</p><p>The largest expenditure for the township (other than the benefits, payroll taxes and insurances for township employees) is for police and fire services. The two township-provided services combine to account for $3.2 million or 34.8 percent of the township&#8217;s 2017 expenses.</p><p>In other business, the commissioners:</p><p>&#8226; Authorized an application for a Local Share Account grant to reimburse a part of the cost of the new fire department pumper.</p><p>&#8226; Requested a police traffic study on Foote Street, behind Dominick&#8217;s Cafe, to potentially prohibit certain trucks.</p><p>&#8226; Requested a police traffic study on Burke Street from Powell Street to the dead end for the potential elimination of parking on one side.</p><p>The next commissioners meeting will be 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Fox Hill fire station, 50 Second St.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Plains Township passes $9.3 million budget; holds taxes to 1.77 mills