It doesn't happen often, but property taxes in Loyalsock Township actually are being reduced under terms of the township's 2013 budget.
There was some fortune involved, of course, but plenty of good management went into the tax decrease.
The township started collecting a local service tax a dollar a week from businesses for every worker on the payroll a few years ago. Not knowing how the collections would go, officials did not increase expenses.
So now, because of those correct management practices, the township has a nice pot of money built up.
Loyalsock also will receive $244,000 from Act 13 gas drilling impact fee monies next year and will use that for a much-needed extensive paving program.
The township went through a sewer project a few years ago and many streets are in need of improvement.
So the township has had some good fortune to push it to a budget that cuts property taxes in half, from 1.4 mills to 0.7 mills.
But frugal spending, efficient collection of a new tax and not counting chickens before they are hatched are the real reasons this tax reduction is possible.
There are lots of lessons in the Loyalsock budget for other municipalities to emulate regarding budget practices.
