Real estate taxes remain unchanged at 4.67 mills, or 14 mills under the old assessment ratio. Property taxes have not risen since 1980.

A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed 1970 property value. Last year, county commissioners changed the assessment ratio from one-third to 100 percent of appraisals, effective this year.

A mill brings in about $44,233 for the township, said Supervisor Gary Hittle, who also is township secretary/treasurer. Under the old ratio, a mill was worth about $14,744.

At 4.67 mills, a taxpayer with a home assessed at $30,000 will owe $140.

This year, $98,693 was budgeted for recreation, which includes the township park and Greenville Area Public Library, because the township applied for a $34,000 grant through the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for park improvements, Hittle said. Of the $98,693, $10,000 will go to the library, he said.

Here is a breakdown of Hempfield Township's 2002 general fund budget of $1,179,060 with 2001 figures in parentheses:

SPENDING

• Administration, $220,251 ($220,806).

• Municipal building, $33,009 ($30,939).

• Police protection, $488,360 ($456,909).

• Fire protection, $59,611 ($59,811).

• Planning and zoning, $13,466 ($20,465).

• Emergency management, $1,000 (same)

• Health and sanitation, $11,350 ($11,110)

• Highways, $245,320 ($260,484).

• Culture and recreation (library and parks), $98,693 ($63,170).

• Miscellaneous, $4,000 (same).

• Other financing uses, $500 (same)

• Unappropriated, $0 ($1,288).

FUNDING

• Real estate taxes at 4.67 mills, $591,941 ($574,789).

• Other revenue, $191,210 ($157,581).

• Nonrevenue receipts, $6,011 ($6,100)

• Cash balance, $389,898 ($399,512).