Township Departments
Accounting & Human Resources - FAQ

Q. What is the Townships fiscal year?

A. The Townships fiscal year runs the same as the calendar year January 1st through December 31st.

Q. How long will it take to receive a refund of a deposit, bond or amount owed from the Township?

A. The Township processes bills in conjunction with the Township Board meeting held the first and third Monday of each month. You can expect to have a refund check approved and released on that Thursday (provided your amount owed has been placed in the bill-run).

Q. How can I be assured that my tax dollars are being utilized properly?

A. The best assurance the resident can receive is that the Township financial activities are audited annually. The audit is conducted in accordance with Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Audit results are forwarded to the State Treasurer’s office no later than June 30th of the following fiscal year. Copies are made available in the Township Clerks office upon request for a fee of $20.00.

Q. Why doesn’t the Township utilize funds in reserve in the Water? Department or Fire Department to pay for other services and reduce my tax rate or the number of mills for Public Safety?

A. Municipalities are restricted to utilize its funding resources based on the funds for which they are collected. We account for funds collected separately using the fund accounting method. With the exception of some usage by the general fund all other funds must remain independent of one another. For instance, if money is collected for use in the Fire Department and they do not use all the money in that fiscal year, the township cannot use the reserve to hire a police officer or build a playground. Any excess of funds that are collected go into what is called a fund balance. A separate fund balance is kept for each fund and revealed in the Township audit reports. Townships are restricted to utilize fund balances to try to enhance services in the future for the function it was originally collected for.

Q. How and when can I get the Township budget report?

A. The Township budget process begins with submission of preliminary budgets from Department Heads to the Township Supervisor each year. They are then under the Supervisor’s discretion and a proposed budget is presented to the additional board members no later than September 1st. Chesterfield Township holds a minimum of two study sessions annually that are open to the public. The budget must be adopted no later than November 1st of each year for the upcoming fiscal year. Copies are made available in the Clerks office upon completion of a public hearing for adoption or you can click here to view our 2003 Adopted Budget.