CYCLISTS OF all ages were hitting the newly paved Leelanau Trail in Bingham Township. Paving of the 6.5-mile trail between Lakeview Hills and Revold Roads, which started on May 14, was completed last week. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for Friday, July 20 at 9 a.m. in Suttons Bay. The Bingham Township Board last week formally adopted a $371,981 spending plan for the next fiscal year beginning July 1 based on estimated revenues of $351,180.

The budget was the subject of a hearing at the township’s annual meeting earlier this month. Unlike every other township on Leelanau County, Bingham’s fiscal year coincides with that of the local school district.

Township clerk Peggy Core noted that although the new budget indicates the township may be running a deficit in the coming year, the township expects to end the current fiscal year having spent some $16,000 less than anticipated. She said the 2011-2012 budget, which was expected to run a deficit, will break even.

Whether the 2012-2013 budget adopted last week ends in a $21,000 deficit by this time next year as expected is another question, however. Township officials noted that there is currently a $382,734 reserve fund balance built into the overall budget — leaving more in township coffers than necessary even if the new annual budget runs a deficit.

In other business at its regular monthly meeting on June 18, the Bingham Township Board:

• Discussed the need to improve a portion of Bingham Road near the road end at West Grand Traverse Bay where Bingham Park is located. The board authorized township supervisor Ross Ard to seek a price estimate for improvements from the Leelanau County Road Commission. The topic will be on next month’s agenda, Core said.

• Discussed township hall rental fees. Core said fees had been set at $35 per event, with a $50 deposit, at least six years ago. Core said she and treasurer Sandra Grant were looking into guidelines for how best to configure township hall rental fees and would bring information back for additional discussion at next month’s meeting, Monday, July 16.