Adams Township supervisors held a special budget workshop Monday night, where officials unveiled the proposed 2026 township budget and confirmed that residents will not see a tax increase for the 32nd consecutive year. According to Chairman Russell Ford, Adams Township has not raised taxes since 1994—an accomplishment he attributes to careful spending, long-term planning, and strong local revenues.
Supervisors unanimously approved the preliminary budget and voted to advertise the document for public inspection, with a special meeting scheduled for 8 a.m. on Monday December 22 to officially adopt the final version.
Key Highlights From the 2026 Budget Workshop
No Tax Increase Once Again
The township continues its long-standing record of maintaining stable real estate taxes.
Real estate tax revenue represents about 10% of all annual income, with the remainder driven by earned income tax, interest earnings, service charges, and intergovernmental funds.
Emergency Services Now 39% of All Spending
Chairman Russell Ford emphasized rising public safety costs as the township’s largest expense driver.
“About 39% of our overall expense budget consists of police, fire, and EMS,” Ford said. “That has risen from 31% to 39% over the last seven years. With insurance, wages, and operating costs increasing, we need to maximize the revenue that’s already coming in.”
Public Safety: Two New Police Cars in 2026
The 2026 General Fund—totaling $9.96 million in revenue against $9.95 million in expenses—includes funding for two new police vehicles next year.
Investing in Public Works: $5 Million Set Aside
The township now has more than $5 million reserved to construct a new public works garage, a long-term infrastructure need supervisors have discussed over the past several years.
In addition to the building fund, the 2026 budget also supports:
- Purchase of a new truck
- Purchase of a tractor and accessories
- Hiring of two new road crew employees
Supervisors also briefly reviewed the township’s Capital Reserve Fund, which maintains more than $21 million for long-term projects, but no major changes were discussed Monday.
Technology Savings: Servers Moving to the Cloud
In a cost-saving measure, the township plans to migrate its servers to cloud-based systems, which is expected to reduce long-term IT maintenance and infrastructure costs.
Employee Benefits: New Cost-Sharing Requirement
Starting in 2026, employees will pay 10% of their health insurance premium, while the township will continue to cover dental and vision at 100%.
Lightning Strike Costs Township $52,000
Township officials reported an unusual expense in 2025:
Two traffic signals were destroyed by lightning on the same night, resulting in $52,000 in replacement costs.
Fund-by-Fund Breakdown (From Budget Documents)
General Fund (2026)
- Starting Assets: $300,000
- Revenue: $9,960,125
- Expenses: $9,959,125
- Balance: +$1,000 (balanced budget)
Recreation Fee Fund
- Starting Assets: $1,008,304.79
- Revenue: $185,000
- Expenses: $0 (all revenue transferred into other funds)
- Balance: +$185,000
Capital Reserve Fund
- Starting Assets: $21,658,362.24
- Revenue: $800,000
- Expenses: $800,000
- Balance: Even
Park Fund
- Starting Assets: $300,000
- Revenue: $268,750
- Expenses: $268,500
- Balance: +$250
Liquid Fuels Fund
- Starting Assets: $798,983.03
- Revenue: $546,574
- Expenses: $545,600
- Balance: +$974
Next Steps
Residents will have the opportunity to review the full budget once advertised. The supervisors will reconvene on Monday, December 22 at 8 a.m. for final approval.
The 228 Times will continue to follow the budget process and provide updates as they become available.