By Sandi carpello
Staff Writer
JAMESBURG — Regardless of a recent unexpected reduction of $100,000 in state aid for the municipal budget, the borough’s financial situation may be looking brighter.
Mayor Anthony LaMantia, along with state Assemblywoman Linda R. Greenstein and Assemblyman Gary Guear (both D-14), met with members of the State Commission of Finance, Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Department of Transportation Sept. 9, in order to discuss the borough’s fiscal plight.
Although the DCA could not offer the borough any additional extraordinary aid this year, representatives from the state departments offered information on new state grants that the borough may be eligible for, said LaMantia.
The grants, which LaMantia said the borough is in the process of applying for, could aid Jamesburg in purchasing necessities for the town, including much needed public works vehicles.
According to Borough Business Administrator Denise Jawidzik, the borough has recently filed applications for one Americans with Disabilities Act grant, two Livable Community grants, and two grants for Domestic Aware Preparedness.
The borough has a good chance of receiving the funds, she said.
Borough officials were notified in August that they would receive $250,000 in extraordinary aid this year, which was $100,000 less than the amount they anticipated receiving in the initial 2002 budget. The borough received $350,000 in extraordinary aid the prior year.
Due to the borough’s lack of commercial and light industrial properties, a no-frills budget carrying a tax increase of 9.2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation was adopted, officials said.
There was some confusion as to why the borough did not receive the expected amount of extraordinary aid.
According to a July press release from the DCA, extraordinary aid, which addresses a municipality’s need for additional assistance to minimize increases in its property tax rate, was increased by $5 million this year.
In a letter sent to the DCA in July, state Sen. Peter Inverso (R-14) wrote, "The borough was taken by surprise by a $100,000 decrease in extraordinary aid when the factors that justified last year’s award have not changed."
LaMantia, who in August was vocal in his questioning of this year’s aid figures and fought with state legislators to get the borough more money, said he did not want to question the DCA at the meeting as to why the borough did not receive the expected amount. He said he wanted the meeting to be a positive experience.
"I didn’t want to create a negative attitude while we were there," he said.

