City to ask state for flood expense money

The tax hike in the proposed $3.53 million budget will be determined after the state decides whether to give Lambertville "extraordinary aid."

By: Linda Seida
   LAMBERTVILLE — City taxes will rise this year, but by how much depends on the amount of aid, if any, the city receives from the state to offset more than $100,000 in expenses incurred during the flood earlier this month.
   The city still is tallying its expenses from the disaster, according to Mayor David Del Vecchio.
   "We spent money we had to spend to do what we had to do," Mayor Del Vecchio said.
   Among those expenses were extra work hours for police and road crews. Police officers worked 12-hour shifts during the flood, and Road Department crews "worked a ridiculous number of hours," Mayor Del Vecchio said.
   Over all, the city incurred $26 million in damage to private and city properties, according to David Burd, the city’s Office of Emergency Management coordinator.
   The city’s new Justice Center was flooded, but a tally for the amount of damage was not available. Meetings of the council, Planning Board and Zoning Board are held at the Justice Center on South Union Street in the newly renovated building that once held an Acme grocery store.
   Lambertville’s court also is located in the Justice Center. Because of the flood damage, court has been transferred to West Amwell Township until repairs can be made. West Amwell is not charging the city for the use of its courtroom, which is located within the township building.
   Flood-related bills still are coming in, and a final tally is unavailable at this time, Mayor Del Vecchio said Monday. The figure includes about $20,000 for solid waste disposal and recycling, plus fees for extra Dumpsters and a disposal fee.
   The council will hold a public hearing May 9 to discuss the proposed $3.53 million budget. The meeting will take place at City Hall on York Street at 7:30 p.m. The council is not expected to pass the budget that night. A vote on the preliminary budget will wait until a decision comes from the state concerning the city’s request for aid.
   Under the proposed budget, which has been crafted to include the hoped-for $150,000 in aid, taxes would rise $12 for the owner of a home assessed at the city average of $290,525, for a total municipal tax bill of about $563. The tax levy, which is the amount raised by local taxes, would be $1,093,074. The tax rate would be 19.4 cents for every $100 of assessed valuation.
   Last year, when the average house was assessed at $260,129, the municipal tax total was about $551. The tax levy was $1,068,061. The tax rate was 21.2 cents for every $100 of assessed valuation.
   If the state does not grant extraordinary aid, it is possible the tax bill could jump $62. However, Mayor Del Vecchio said the city would pare down the budget if the city receives no aid.
   "We’ll redo the budget," Mayor Del Vecchio said. "It categorically won’t be $62. If we do not get extraordinary aid, we’ll redo the budget just like last year."
   Mayor Del Vecchio said if the state grants no aid to Lambertville, the city would hold the tax hike to between $12 and $50.
   The city last year also asked for $150,000 in extraordinary aid. The state granted only $75,000, or half of the amount requested. The money was needed to offset losses incurred by the bridge closing when the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission closed the free bridge to New Hope for repairs for about six months. The city then used other grants from the state to make up the difference.
   The preliminary budget calls for no cuts in services, the mayor said.
   "We have extra costs for health benefits," Mayor Del Vecchio said.
   Last year the city paid $284,098 for benefits for its employees. That figure is rising to $310,000. Also, a $40,000 overexpenditure occurred last year because of the flooding from Hurricane Ivan in September. That was offset by $24,000 in revenue from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for a net overexpenditure of $16,000, according to the mayor.
   Among the city’s expenses are $1,495,185 in salary and wages, up from $1,374,042 spent so far in 2004. Budgeted for 2004 was $1,356,221.
   Members of the council would receive the same salary as last year, $1,499 each for council president John McManus, Councilwoman Cynthia Ege and Councilmen Steven Stegman and Frank Kramer, for a total of $5,996. Mayor Del Vecchio will not take a salary, which has been his practice for many years.
   Salary and wages for the city’s office workers would total $92,149, up from $80,144 in 2004. Salary and wages for finance and administration would total $51,142 in 2005, compared to $49,105 in 2004.
   The tax assessor would receive $26,592, of which $5,394 would be payment for work related to the city’s reassessment. In 2004, the tax assessor received $25,875, with $5,394 of that as payment for reassessment-related work.
   The city’s attorneys’ fees are budgeted at $32,500 in 2005, compared to $28,000 in 2004.
   Salary and wages for the Police Department in 2005 are budgeted at $775,363, compared to $720,165 in 2004. Police Director Bruce Cocuzza’s salary is budgeted at $63,500, up from $57,500 in 2004. Mr. Cocuzza does not receive health benefits from the city.
   Salary and wages for the Public Works Department is budgeted to receive $207,000 in 2004, up from $188,149. Twenty-three thousand of the total budgeted for the department for 2005 is due to flood-related expenses.
   Director Paul Cronce is budgeted to receive $57,286, up from $55,348 in 2004.
   Budgeted for utilities in 2005 is $86,138, up from $81,797 budgeted for 2004.
   Salaries and wages for city court personnel are budgeted at $68,169, compared to the 2004 total of $65,864.
   Expenditures also include a $20,000 increase for the public library, for a total of $190,740 in 2005.
   Revenue includes an expected take of $182,406 from the city’s parking meters, $47,373 from the hotel tax and more than $681,000 from state grants and aid. Fees and permits are expected to bring in almost $60,000.