CLARKS GREEN — During July’s Council meeting, Leah Rosenkrans, who is partnered with Murphy, Dougherty, & Co., presented the 2023 audit of Clarks Green Borough Council. She focused on the modified approval of financial statements. She began with the general fund as of December 31, 2023, which has a balance of $600,277, an increase of $21,355 for the year. She then announced the revenues of the general fund were around $858,000 and the expenditures were around $837,000. She said that Council budgeted to decrease the fund balance by approximately $77,254.
“The overall budget versus actual was favorable by around $98,000,” she said.
Rosenkrans mentioned that the liquid fuels balance as of December 31, 2023 was approximately $216,000, an increase of $48,091 for the year. She said that the fund for capital projects was approximately $104,000, a decrease of $21,741 for the year. The fund had a small amount of interest and had to be transferred to the general fund. The sewer fund as of December 31, 2023 was $1,072,127, an increase of approximately $57,000 from the year before. The total revenues for the sewer fund were about $417,000, and the total expenses were around $337,000.
Rosenkrans said that the borough is debt-free.
“The borough is in great financial condition,” she said. “You guys do a great job regulating your expenses. You have a solid fund balance that increases year after year. And you’ve been able to build up the capital fund and also the liquid fuels fund.”
Council president Bill Egan thanked Rosenkrans for the audit.
“I’d like to think that not only the council but previous councils have always tried to save for a rainy day and spend the money in a conservative fashion,” he said.
Council voted to accept the 2023 audit.
In his mayor’s report, Joe Barrasse encouraged Council to contribute $20,000 to the capital fund to purchase a new backhoe.
In other business, Council voted to:
• Authorize the purchase of the speed control battery for the Clarks Summit Police Department in the amount of $349.46.
• Authorize the final payment to Vortex Services for the Cured in Place Pipe Rehabilitation Project completed May 2024 in the amount of $155,023.60.
• Authorize payment to the Clarks Summit Fire Company in the amount of $18,948 for 2024 fire services per agreement.
• Authorize the placement of liens on three delinquent sewer accounts: 0087, 0168, and 0218.
• Authorize the third quarter 2024 municipal contribution to Hillside Park in the amount of $1,585.25.
• Consider the Clarks Green Resolution No. 1 of 2024 for approving the DCED (Department of Community and Economic Development) Multimodal Transportation Fund Grant.
