Politics & Government

Council Introduces $36.8 Million Budget

The council approves the introduction of a budget that will see a $44 increase in municipal taxes.

With a flat state aid amount expected for 2011, the township council unanimously approved the introduction of a budget Thursday set at $36.8 million.

According to Mayor Patricia Flannery, in her address to the council about the budget, this number was achieved through laying off six employees, negotiating union concessions, cutting operating budgets and discontinuing programs.

The 2011 proposed budget is a 1.3 percent decrease from the approved 2010 budget that was set at $37.3 million.

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As for , the township will receive $5,904,261 for 2011, the same as it received in 2010.

Residents will pay a municipal property tax of $989 for a home assessed at the township average of $410,000. This is an increase of $44 over the 2010 figures.

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Flannery said in her address that the township had to deal this year with increased costs of pension, healthcare and unemployment, as, for example, the pension costs increased by $250,000 for the coming year. The township owes $3,046,022 in pension costs, and plans to fund the full amount.

Healthcare costs, Flannery said, are increasing by $360,000 to $4,325,346, and the unemployment fund contributions are increasing by $144,435 to $367,997.

“These three expenditures alone represent 21 percent of our entire operating budget,” she said in her address. “In addition, we face increases in payroll processing costs, accumulated leave payout, utilities, street lights, snow removal and the reserve for uncollected taxes.”

Flannery said the township is also looking at a loss of $467,874 in available surplus funds.

To help with the budget deficit, Flannery said in her address, the township asked municipal departments to decrease their operating expenditures on top of the 5 percent reductions already made in 2010 and 2009. And the township worked on negotiations with its unions and reached concessions with the Bridgewater Public Works Association, the Policemen’s Benevolent Association and the Superior Officers Association, all of which resulted in furlough days and concessions in salaries.

“All employees are now paying toward health insurance,” she said.

As for the capital budget, Flannery said in her address, the township has set aside $2.2 million for road and other improvements, a decrease from 2010.

“[It] will allow us to address only the most critical infrastructure issues,” she said.

The council also approved the introduction of an ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits and establish a cap bank for future use.

Director of finance Natasha Turchan said the council approves this ordinance every year as a precautionary measure.

“It doesn’t allow us to spend just because,” she said. “It just gives us the ability to increase the budget in unforeseen circumstances.”

This ordinance allows the township to increase its budget by 3.5 percent, rather than the state-mandated 2.5 percent. In this case, the township has chosen a 1.5 percent increase above the final appropriations allowed by the state, for a total of $441,385.74.

This money is set aside in a cap bank to be used if needed in the next two years.

“This is an appropriations cap, and has nothing to do with taxes,” Turchan said.

A public hearing for the budget will be held April 4, with a final adoption scheduled for April 14.

A copy of the budget will be available in the .


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