Insurance increases help
drive up municipal budget
By dave benjamin
Staff Writer
MANALAPAN — The Township Committee has introduced a 2003 municipal budget of $25,473,078 that is expected to raise the municipal tax rate by 1 cent, from 46 to 47 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
The budget was introduced at the committee’s March 26 meeting.
"The governing body is making a conscious effort to minimize the impact to the taxpayers," said Phil DelTurco, chief financial officer. "There is a penny, projected, increase. The county finalizes the number."
The projected 1-cent increase per $100 of assessed value means that the owner of a home assessed at $200,000 will pay $940 in municipal taxes in 2003, up from $920 in 2002. The owner of a home assessed at $150,000 will pay $705 in municipal taxes this year, up from $690 in 2002. The owner of a home assessed at $300,000 will pay $1,410 in municipal taxes in 2003, up from $1,380 in 2002.
Municipal taxes are one part of a homeowner’s property tax bill. Other taxes include Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District K-8 school taxes, Freehold Regional High School District taxes, Monmouth County taxes and other assessments.
Costs to the township have increased due to major snow storms, salary increases and increase costs for health insurance. Those increased expenditures, about $234,000, equate to a 1-cent increase in the municipal tax rate, according to DelTurco.
"We included in this year’s budget $80,000 for the LOSAP (Length of Service Award Program) program for people in the [Englishtown-Manalapan] first aid squad, and we also added $25,000 for the volunteer incentive program," said Jim Devereaux, business administrator.
Devereaux also explained that trash and recycling costs are up to the cost of $230,000.
"Health insurance is up about $450,000," said the business administrator. "The other insurances, like property and auto, are up about $60,000. They are the major increase."
Devereaux noted one very positive component of the budget this year, a decrease in the township’s debt service by $472,000.
"That’s the result of having the township significantly reduce the amount of debt it has had over the past five to six years," said Devereaux. "That’s had a very positive impact on the budget."
The business administrator added that with everything going on in the state and federal governments, it has been a difficult year.
"But I think that getting by with a 1-cent tax increase this year is really very good considering the overall circumstances," said Devereaux.
The anticipated $25,473,078 budget will receive revenues from four sources: surplus, $4,803,082; receipts from delinquent taxes, $1,372,130; miscellaneous revenues, $8,289,168; and the local tax for municipal purposes, $11,008,698.
The anticipated budget will be $581,574 more than last year’s budget of $24,891,504.
Appropriations that are anticipated in the 2003 budget include: operating expenses, salaries and wages, $9,468,832; Other operating expenses, $9,826,676; deferred charges and other appropriations, $776,535; capital Improvements, $60,000; debt service (included for school purposes); $2,466,035; reserve for uncollected taxes, $2,875,000.
There will be 164 full-time employees and 296 part-time employees anticipated working for the township in 2003, compared to 155 full-time and 289 part-time employees in 2002.
A public hearing on the budget will be held on April 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the municipal building. Copies of the budget are available in the office of the township clerk between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.