NILES — A public meeting on Niles Charter Township’s proposed 2020 budget revealed potential dips and boosts in department funding in anticipation of next year’s workloads.

At a Monday board of trustees meeting at the township hall, 320 Bell Road, Supervisor Jim Stover offered an audience of two the opportunity to ask questions about a recommended 2020 budget, addressing each department’s budget one by one.

The total estimated costs would be $1,870,784, an increase of $167,487 from last year. Total estimated revenues next year were $1,822,545 with $2,602,239 on hand as of Oct. 31 this year.

One of the largest budget increases came from the highway repair and maintenance department, sparking concern among some township trustees.

Some felt state and county road budgets were shrinking, putting pressure on local governments to increase their road budgets to properly serve their residents.

“We’re in the road business full-time, baby,” said treasurer Jim Ringler, stating his dislike of the way road budgeting has put pressure on local governments.

The issue came to a head before the board unanimously approved an amended budget for finished maintenance on Adams Road. The cost came about $16,000 above the approved agreement. The Berrien County Road Commission would not split the cost as it had with the rest of the project.

“I don’t think any of us like it, you guys,” said clerk Terry Eull before the vote. “We all hold our nose every time we do it, and we have the same argument every time we go through it.”

Eull’s department had the third-largest increase in proposed funding, adding $38,468 in preparation for 2020 elections. Eull said extra hands will be needed, due to state law changes allowing no-reason absentee ballot voting and an expected high election turnout.

The clerk department will handle three elections: A national primary March 10; a statewide and Congressional primary Aug. 4; and a general election Nov. 3. A fourth election could also occur in two northern township precincts which fall in the Buchanan school district depending on whether a Buchanan school district board member recall effort is successful.

“We’re making preparations, and we’ll be extremely, extremely busy,” Eull said.

Other notable proposed department budget increases came from the parks and recreation department, which requires more maintenance due to the Indiana-Michigan River Valley Trail’s expansion in the township, and drains at large, due to a likely increase in project work.

The proposed 2020 budget also had decreases in some department budgets. The most significant was in township hall and grounds, a decrease of $28,443 from last year’s $139,827 budget. Stover said this was largely due to the retirement of a longtime employee, who was replaced by someone with less experience and less benefits built up.

The board of review and the township board’s budgets also decreased, the former dropping by $197 and the latter dropping by $6,051.

A full proposed 2020 budget will be available for viewing at the clerk’s office at the township hall as the board prepares to vote on the budget at a later date.

The budget came after departments requested their own budgets and the township board hosted budget workshop meetings. Stover asked trustees to spend the next two weeks thinking of capital improvements the township could make.

The following events also took place at Monday’s board meeting:

• The approval of $204,610 in expenditures and transfers dated Dec. 2.

• The approval of Terry Flint to the Niles District Library Board for a Jan. 1, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2023 term.

• The approval of a $500 furnace motor installation.