Township passes 2019 budget

By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

Ironwood Township — After postponing action for several meetings, the Ironwood Township board of trustees passed the township’s 2019 budget at a special meeting Thursday.

Based on discussions over the past few meetings, the passed budget cuts several proposed line items — including raises for the three elected officials who work in the township offices.

The original proposed budget had included a $1,123 increase in salaries for the township supervisor, treasurer and clerk.

These raises — which would have brought the three salaries to $38,563 next year — were taken out of the document that passed, Supervisor Steve Boyd told the Daily Globe, keeping the salaries at 2018 levels.

Boyd said a compensation committee, which was formed in response to concerns raised during the budget process, plans to meet in the new year to examine the issue of salaries.

The final budget removed or reduced several other line items, including lowering the budget for potential library costs from $7,000 to the $100 budgeted in 2018, according to Boyd.

During the budget discussions over the past two months, various concerns were raised about the township’s fiscal priorities.

One of the concerns was the $820,409 in tax money the township owes other local government entities. The township owes Gogebic County $335,181, the Ironwood Area Schools is owed $389,805 and the GOISD is owed $95,423.

The money is taxes former treasurer Jyl Olson-DeRosso collected but never passed on to the appropriate authorities.

These figures are included in the $1,398,654 Olson-DeRosso was ordered to pay in restitution as part of her sentence on forgery and embezzlement charges in May.

Township officials say they continue to wait for payment from the township’s insurance and bonding companies to cover the amounts owed.

Some residents and board members felt the township should proactively pay the other local entities rather than wait for the companies to settle the debt.

Along with township’s general fund budget, the board of trustees also passed its water and sewer fund budgets Thursday.