Tax increase slightly lower than anticipated
By:Vanessa S. Holt
SPRINGFIELD — The newly amended 2000 budget includes a local purpose tax that will be slightly lower than anticipated, but which will still represent a 6.2-cent increase in the tax rate.
Township Council unanimously voted to amend the budget at its June 14 meeting, lowering the increase in the tax rate from 34.4 to 33.3 cents per $100 of assessed property value.
The reduction was possible after moving $21,000 from the township surplus account.
“The surplus was higher than what the auditor thought it would be, when he had prepared the financial statement in January,” explained township Treasurer Judith Schetler.
The $2.3 million budget includes $684,875 to be raised by taxes.
“You can play smoke and mirror games to keep taxes down,” said Council President Gary Bender, “but it’s not in the best interest of the township.”
He added that the tax increase was due to a combination of factors, including the lack of new sources of revenue, lack of discretionary aid, and COAH obligations. The township’s application to the state for $150,000 in discretionary aid this year was turned down.
“We’re doing the right thing by the town, by not trying to take money that’s not there,” Mr. Bender said.
Mr. Bender added that although raising taxes was not “politically correct,” he felt that it was ultimately the correct decision to make.
The original tax rate of 34.4 cents per $100 of assessed property value would have required the owner of a home valued at the $150,000 township average to pay $516 in local purpose taxes.
The new rate of 33.3 cents will mean $499.50 in local purpose taxes for that same homeowner, who will pay $93 more than last year, when the tax rate was 27.1 cents.
Property owners also will pay2 cents per $100 of assessed property value under a new farmland preservation tax approved by voters last year. The tax will raise $41,121 for preservation of open space.
Several residents agreed that the tax hike was necessary for the good of the township. Resident Ken Lawrence commended the council on “having the courage to raise taxes.”
“I don’t like it, but you gotta do what you gotta do,” he said.
Past school board President Peter Sobotka spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, remarking that the hit on the surplus concerned him.
He added that school taxes had been kept down in part because of volunteer help, and because they took part in shared services to cut down on costs.
Mr. Bender said the school had received a large amount of state aid this year, which had contributed to their stable tax rate.
“Without the state aid increase, you’d have been in the same boat,” said Mr. Bender.
Mayor John Green admitted that the township had “dropped the ball on shared services,” while Mr. Bender said shared services would not have been practical for the township.