Pennington budget plan needs 8-cent tax rate hike

Public hearing, adoption vote scheduled for June 6.

By John Tredrea
   A $2,864,230 Pennington budget for 2005 that would bring a municipal tax-rate increase of 8 cents per $100 of assessed property value, if adopted, was introduced by a 4-1 Borough Council vote Monday night.
   The increase would bring the borough’s rate to 71 cents, and cost the average home owner and additional $186.
   A public hearing and adoption vote on the spending plan is scheduled for June 6.
   "It’s reflective of more than we’d like to tax," said Mayor Jim Loper, "but basically we have no choice if we are to continue providing services borough residents want and expect."
   There are no layoffs in the proposed budget.
   Voting in favor of introducing it were council members David Garber, Eileen Heinzel, Joe Lawver and Weed Tucker.
   Jim Lytle voted no, citing the size of the tax-rate increase the budget would bring. "I’m not in agreement with that type of increase," he said.
   The draft budget for 2005 is up $86,000 over the $2,778,000 figure for 2004.
   For the owner of a property assessed at $231,200 (the borough average), a 71-cent tax rate would bring an estimated municipal property tax of $1,641 for 2005, up an estimated $186 from 2004.
   Mr. Tucker said that, during its budget work sessions over the past few months, council trimmed the tax increase from 12.6 cents.
   "Prior to last year, we only raised taxes 1 or 2 cents for a number or years," he said. "It wasn’t enough to build sufficient surplus."
   Among the proposed expenditures are leasing a new police car – $9,000 a year for three years, with the borough having the option of buying the car in the fourth year for $1.
   Also proposed is $108,000 for Public Works vehicles, some of which may be purchased secondhand, including a heavy-duty dump truck, a medium-size dump truck with snowplow and an SUV.
   Also proposed in the budget is hiring a new Department of Public Works employee. Since that individual would be on the payroll only about half of this year, $15,000 has been allotted in the draft budget for that purpose, Mr. Tucker said. It would be about double that amount next year, when the new hire would work the full 12 months, he said.
   Another $5,000 would pay for extra summer help for the Department of Public Works, for grass cutting and other tasks.