Mount Olive staff outlines fee increases and property sales to boost revenue; splash pad and sanitation changes proposed

Mount Olive Township administration presented a multi-department plan on June 9 to increase revenues and reduce program costs after a difficult 2026 budget cycle, proposing property sales, fee adjustments and service changes to shore up the municipal budget.

Andrew (staff) summarized recommendations from administration, the clerk, health, public works, recreation, finance, police and building departments. He told the council three municipal properties under consideration for sale or auction could produce "about $800,000" in one‑time revenue and then add ratables going forward. The memo also suggests exploring zoning to allow cannabis manufacturing and warehousing in the industrial zone to expand the tax base.

Specific fee and program proposals included raising licensing and permit fees (ABC liquor licensing, pedaller and solicitor permits, taxi and limousine licenses), charging for notary services, and enforcing an existing business‑registration ordinance that could yield additional revenue. Health department fee increases for well and sewage permits and temporary food events were identified as potential additional revenue.

Public works recommended revising sanitation services to reduce strain on the sanitation utility: increase dumpster and chipping fees, and convert the large free bulk‑pickup week to a sticker/ticket system where each household receives three free pickups and pays for subsequent collections. Staff said the bulk program cost the township about $60,000 net last year (about $20,000 overtime, $20,000 removal, and $20,000 lost ticket revenue).

Recreation recommended instituting splash‑pad fees to recover operations costs (staff estimated about $65,000 annually). A draft fee schedule discussed was $50 per child season pass for residents, $75 for non‑residents, and a $2 daily admission; council members suggested testing lower resident fees and monitoring use patterns.

Other proposals included increasing zoning and construction permit fees, stricter enforcement and fines for false fire and burglar alarms, and pursuing collection on municipal court delinquent cases (staff reported roughly 1,600 delinquent cases with about $400,000 in municipal fines outstanding). Staff summarized that full implementation of recommendations as written could result in "over $1.1 million" one‑time revenue, about $360,000 in recurring annual revenue and some modest spending reductions.

Council members expressed support for aligning fees with cost recovery in many areas but cautioned about burdening residents and small businesses. Mr. Aaron said he favored helping the resident who sought deer‑fencing clarity while protecting taxpayers; other members asked staff to prepare ordinances and fee schedules for public hearings if the governing body agrees to proceed.

Staff said legislation would be required for most changes and that public input would be part of the process.