A quiet hearing on budget

Tab would cut taxes.

By: Leon Tovey
   MONROE — The township’s $32.09 million budget for 2005 appears to be on its way to adoption by the Township Council later this month.
   There was no comment from the council or members of the audience during Monday’s public hearing on the proposed spending plan.
   The budget, having been publicly introduced by Mayor Richard Pucci to the Township Council on March 7 and offered for comment at the public hearing, now is scheduled to be presented to the council for adoption at a special meeting April 25 at 7:30 p.m.
   Despite a 13.7 percent increase in spending, the 2005 budget would decrease the municipal tax rate by 1 cent, from 57 cents to 56 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. At that rate, the owner of a house assessed at the township average of $160,108 would pay around $897 in taxes, $16 less than in 2004.
   Councilman Henry Miller complimented the mayor’s office on the budget after Monday’s hearing. Mr. Miller particularly praised Township Business Administrator Wayne Hamilton for "working some long, hard hours on this and doing a great job."
   This year’s budget marks the third time in the past six years that the municipal tax rate has either decreased or remained flat. Under the 2001 budget, the tax rate remained stable, at 53 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, while in 2003, the tax rate decreased by 2 cents, from 56 cents to 54 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
   In 2000, 2002 and 2004 however, the tax rate increased by 2 cents, 3 cents and 3 cents, respectively.
   This year, the township is able to cut taxes while increasing spending because of a $245 million, or 10.1 percent, increase in the size of the township’s tax ratable base in 2004, Mr. Hamilton said.
   Tax Assessor Mitch Elias said the bulk of that increase, about 56 percent, came from the sale of 607 new homes in the township. Mr. Elias said the value of the township’s commercial ratables decreased slightly in 2004 as a result of successful tax appeals, but that decrease was offset by a $76.1 million increase in the assessed value of vacant land in the township.
   Mr. Elias said the assessed value of land typically increases when there is a change in the purpose for which the land is used. For example, he said, a piece of land that had been assessed at the rate for farmland would be reassessed at a higher rate once it received subdivision approval.
   Additionally, each piece of subdivided land would be assessed at the going rate for a residential lot of that size.
   Much of this year’s $3.89 million spending increase is going toward salary and wages for township employees.
   Mr. Hamilton said $1.13 million will be used to hire 16 new township employees and to cover pay increases stipulated in new contracts with the police and the United Service Workers union, he said.
   Among the new employees to be hired will be three Department of Public Works employees, who will receive a starting salary of $27,429 per year, according to Chief Financial Officer Wendy Matson.
   The township also plans to hire two new police officers, who will receive a starting salary of $35,000 per year; and two new emergency medical technicians, who will earn a starting salary of $32,000 per year.
   Additionally, the township plans to spend $1 million on capital improvements this year, $880,000 more than last year. Mr. Hamilton said that in addition to a number of improvements and repairs to roads, curbs and sidewalks and drains, much of that money will go toward planning for expansions to the Public Library and the Community Center, and a free-standing Senior Center.