The Upper Milford Township Supervisors passed the 2013 budget Dec. 27, 2012 with a unanimous vote from all three supervisors.

Robert Sentner, however, did not vote for the approval of the township's agreement plan with Emmaus Public Library. This counts effectively as a "no" vote. Sentner says he isn't against libraries in any way only the "mechanism" by which they are funded through the township.

Sentner would like to see funding for Pennsylvania libraries on a state level, not the per capita cost paid by municipalities like Upper Milford. The township pays $5.10 per capita for the Emmaus Public Library and has no library of its own. All told, $37,678 goes to the library agreement.

Upper Milford's support for the library has waned in the past two years, seeing a move toward totally cutting funding in 2010 and a decrease in funding in 2011. The township supervisors read a letter Thursday night from the library offering gratitude for their part in the agreement.

The township's real estate tax rate went from 0.5 to 0.171 mills, which will bring an increase of $126,000 to the municipality. The average property owner pays $40 in township tax, Township Manager Daniel DeLong said.

Upper Milford's total budget spending plan is $2.2 million. Half comes from earned income tax. The township receives $95,000 in fees from cable television franchises and $33,000 from rent, including property rented to the state. Real estate transfer tax accounts for $115,000 and occupational privilege tax (now known as municipal services tax) for $15,000.

DeLong says some of the budget includes costs for road improvements throughout the township, specifically road surfacing and culvert replacements. Some trouble spots include Little Lehigh Acres West and the area adjacent to Emmaus High School. The projects will not be bid out until spring.

DeLong also mentioned some neutral revenue passing through the budget.

The Firemen's Relief Fund will be allocated $65,000 from the township's 2013 budget. The township will then be reimbursed for the funds by insurance companies later in the year.

The budget also includes a two percent raise for township employees.

The supervisors also passed a resolution to synchronize employee wage and benefits increases on Jan. 1 of each year. They had previously been staggered according to each employee's given anniversary of employment.

The employee pension fund was touched upon as well, as the supervisors approved the move to the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs' Municipal Retirement Trust.

DeLong says previously Wells Fargo Trust Investment Company had been managing the pension fund but "were not interested in providing services" to such a small amount of funds. The total fund is less than $600,000.

MRT manages small government pension funds. Upper Milford's is a balanced fund now, split between stocks and fixed investments. The township employs 13 people, including the road crew.