$23 million tab would increase rate by 2 cents
Jane Karlicek
The Princeton Township Committee formally introduced a $23 million budget Monday that would increase the municipal tax rate by 2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
Based on the proposed 2000 budget, the municipal tax rate would be 46.5 cents per $100 of assessed property value, up from 44.5 cents, an increase of 4.5 percent. At that rate, the owner of a home assessed at the township average of $404,600 would pay $1,882, up from $1,801.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for May 8.
Township Administrator Jim Pascale said the increase in the budget comes largely from the hiring of three new police officers, a larger contribution to the Princeton Public Library, enhanced park maintenance and an increase in utility costs and county recycling costs.
The hiring of three additional police officers, along with the regular salary increases for township officers, amounts to an increase of about $268,305, from a total of about $2.3 million to about $2.5 million, Princeton Township’s Chief Financial Officer John Clawson said. The new officers were hired in January to bring the department up to full operating capacity, Princeton Township Capt. Peter Savalli said.
There are no other new employees included in the proposed budget.
Mr. Clawson said the township’s contribution to the library is tentatively estimated to rise $156,046 above last year’s contribution of about $1.3 million. The 2000 figure is subject to change after joint budget meetings are held between Princeton Borough and Princeton Township, he said.
With the recent rise in oil prices, Mr. Clawson said the township appropriated about $100,000 more than last year’s budget for utilities. The cost for county recycling has also risen by $27,964 compared to last year, when the township spent $124,956, he said.
More park maintenance is needed because of the addition of a new township park, the Barbara Smoyer Memorial Park, which is under construction, Mr. Pascale said. A figure for enhanced park maintenance was not available but Mr. Clawson said it was also subject to change after joint budget meetings with the borough.
There is no proposed increase in the open-space tax of 1 cent per $100 of assessed property value or in the residential sewer rate, Mr. Pascale said.
In addition to the $1,881 in municipal taxes, the owner of a home assessed at the township average would pay about $40 for the preservation and acquisition of open space and about $503 in residential sewer charges.
At Monday’s meeting, Deputy Mayor Steven Frakt called the budget “very modest” and said “it meets our needs.”
Last week he said, “We consistently account for about one-fifth of the taxes that township residents pay. With all that we offer, we try very hard to keep the tax rate down. We keep our operating budget pretty flat. We are very frugal.”
The township’s budget for 1999 was about $24 million, with approximately $9.7 million raised through taxes. This year, the township needs to raise about $10.4 million through taxes, an increase of $700,000, Mr. Clawson said.
Last month, the Township Committee unanimously approved an emergency temporary budget for the month of April in the amount of $1.5 million. The temporary budget was necessary because the township had not yet introduced its 2000 municipal budget .