City of Champaign Township Report

Here's the News-Gazette story on the presentation that City of Champaign Township Supervisor Linda Abernathy made to the Champaign City Council last night regarding the Township's budget woes:

A discussion of the township's financial condition and possible solutions took place at Tuesday's council study session. While council members heard a detailed staff presentation and peppered Township Supervisor Linda Abernathy and city staff with questions, no final decision about city assistance was made...

Due to a deficit that is rapidly drawing down township reserves, Abernathy implemented drastic cuts on Feb. 1 to general assistance. She reduced the monthly cash benefit from $212 to $100 and ruled that only those who are seeking federal disability assistance would be eligible...

Abernathy's cuts removed 50 poor but able-bodied recipients from general assistance, leaving about 50 disabled recipients on the township rolls who are awaiting a decision about being eligible for Supplemental Security Income...

City Finance Director Richard Schnuer said the township generates about $600,000 annually in property taxes, with its property tax rate of 3.68 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. But spending for general assistance and operating the township supervisor and township assessor's offices is expected to cost about $700,000 each year.

I've attached a scan of the written report presented by Abernathy last evening.  I notice that the report isn't on the Township's website, which I find inexcusable, but that's another story.  Not making information like this readily available to the public only increases distrust of the Township's operations, in my opinion.  If they're not going to share this type of information, people will think they're trying to hide something.

One thing is confusing me, though.  If I'm reading this correctly, the Township is providing assistance to 50 people per month at $100 per person - so they're spending about $5,000 per month or $60,000 per year on General Assistance.  The article makes it sound like there's about 50 more people who are legally eligible - which would cost another $60,000 per year.  Why can't the Township afford to provide $120,000 in General Assitance out of a $700,000 budget?  What am I missing?