The Damascus Board of Supervisors passed the township’s 2013 budget at its meeting on November 19. Budgets in Pennsylvania must be passed by December 31. There will be no cuts in services or cuts in personnel in this budget, as happened last year.

The millage will remain the same as last year at 1.55 mills. The millage for road machinery is .40 and the fire tax millage is .20.

The total income of the budget is $1,117,254.06. The total expense is $1,053,206.42.

“We had no real changes from last year except that the state lowered what it gives us by about five or six percent,” said Jeff Dexter, chairman of the supervisors. “We were able to shift some things around to make up for it.”

Property taxes brought in $520,000; the machinery tax was $127,000; the fire tax brought in $64,000; an occupational tax was $5,000; a per capita tax was $10,300; and transfer tax was $30,000 with a grand total tax of $756,300. Other revenue comes from fees and the state and federal government.

There was no indication in the budget of expected income from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, since the county did not establish a threshold for Hurricane Sandy or any other event in 2013 that would trigger the inflow of federal money.

In other matters, the supervisors discussed and approved a measure that would allow one member to communicate by telephone conference if his absence at the supervisors’ meeting was unavoidable. If the absent member is the chairman, the deputy chairman would run the meeting.

The supervisors agreed to a contract with Brian Kelly and Associates to perform a township audit for 2013.

Fifty-eight families were aided by the township pantry in October. Holiday meals will be provided for 25 families.