Council hopes to get state aid.
By: Leon Tovey
JAMESBURG Depending on how much state and federal aid the borough receives this year, Jamesburg taxpayers could see a municipal tax rate increase of up to 20 percent.
The Borough Council is expected to introduce a tentative $4.6 million budget for 2005 Wednesday that is $100,000 larger than last year’s $4.5 million spending plan. The budget would raise $2.6 million from taxes, $400,000 more than last year’s tax budget.
If introduced as is, the budget would carry a tax rate increase of 18.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, said borough Business Administrator Denise Jawidzik, bringing the municipal tax rate to $1.105. Under that rate, the owner of a home assessed at the borough average of $123,319 would pay about $1,363, an increase of $228, or 20 percent, from last year.
However, the borough is expected to request $425,000 in state extraordinary aid. If it receives the full amount, the tax rate increase would remain flat, at 92 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Under that rate, the owner of a home assessed at the borough average would pay $1,134.
Ms. Jawidzik said it is unlikely that Jamesburg will receive the full amount of aid. The borough received $175,000 in extraordinary aid and $50,000 in Homeland Security police aid for 2004.
Ms. Jawidzik said if the borough receives the same amount of aid in 2005 that it did in 2004, the municipal tax rate would increase by 9.9 cents, or 11 percent. Under that rate, the owner of a home assessed at the borough average would pay about $1,257, up $123 from last year.
At a special meeting of the Borough Council held Wednesday, Ms. Jawidzik told stunned council members that it looked like a tax hike was the only way to meet borough operating costs and state-mandated budget increases without eliminating necessary services.
The biggest challenge in this year’s budget, Ms. Jawidzik said, is how to fund $243,363 in state-mandated increases to programs and services.
Ms. Jawidzik said the library’s budget will increase from $110,133 in 2004 to $126,753 in 2005.
The borough also will be required to increase funding for storm water management by $36,000 and to give an additional $31,000 to its recycling program, she said.
Council members were dismayed if not entirely surprised by the numbers and spent most of Wednesday’s meeting debating other ways to cover costs, including eliminating services.
"I know we’re at a bare-bones budget, but we can’t ask the citizens to accept a tax increase of this size," Councilman Chris Maloney said. "We’re at the point where we have to consider chopping services."
Councilman John Longo responded by pointing out that the only services with big enough price tags to affect the budget were waste disposal, the library, and the police force none of which were acceptable targets for elimination.
"The library can only be terminated through a public referendum," Councilman Otto Kostbar said. "It’s hard to see that referendum passing."
Ms. Jawidzik said eliminating the borough’s trash disposal program was also likely to be unpopular with the public, as residents would then be responsible for their own trash pickup.
"And the fact is, certain people just don’t pay their bills," Ms. Jawidzik said. "What happens then is you have illegal dumping and trash piling up on the curb, which creates a major health issue."
In the end, council members agreed that they would probably have to introduce the budget as is and hope for extraordinary aid.
"I wouldn’t touch a thing at this point," Mr. Longo said. "A budget is not a finite document."

