BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer
JACKSON – Exactly when the municipal government will have a 2006 budget ready to present to the public has become a hot issue for some members of the Township Committee.
The issue has taken on political overtones as residents get set to go to the polls on May 9 and elect a new form of government – a mayor and a township council. The election is nonpartisan.
Three members of the Township Committee are running for mayor – Michael Kafton, Sean Giblin and Mark Seda. The other two members of the committee, Josh Reilly and Ann Updegrave, are running for council seats. The mayor and council members will take office July 1.
The budget – or lack of one – was a topic of discussion when the committee met on April 24. Many New Jersey municipal governments – although not every one – have already introduced a budget for the year and have scheduled public hearings.
Jackson’s government has not introduced a spending plan for 2006, and Seda accused Giblin, who is serving as mayor until June 30, of being responsible for that
“With no budget in place, the township is currently operating on what is known as an emergency temporary appropriation,” Seda said. “With tonight’s resolution (for more temporary appropriations) these appropriations exceed $12.8 million.”
Seda wanted to know how much this year’s budget will be, how much it will increase over last year’s budget and how much property taxes will go up. He pointed to increased fuel costs and health care costs as items that will drive the budget.
“I am outraged that Mayor Giblin and administrator (Andrew) Salerno are playing a game of deception with taxpayers’ money,” Seda said. “I’ve asked Mr. Salerno many times to provide me 2006 budget information and his answer is, ‘It’s better to introduce the budget after the new government is elected.’ This is outrageous.”
Giblin responded, saying, “Mr. Seda is part of this administration [and] if he wants to say it’s my administration, he’s part of it. Ann Updegrave is part of the finance committee and she has nothing to say about this, so I guess she is not concerned about this.
“And last and foremost, on March 13 there was a resolution stating the reasons for the delay of the municipal budget. That [resolution] was made by Mr. Kafton and seconded by Mr. Seda You can draw your own conclusions. The public can draw its own conclusions as to why a statement like [the one Seda delivered] was made,” the mayor said.
Giblin said there will be a new mayor and council elected on May 9 and that is what the voters demanded.
“They wanted a new government and a change in structure,” said Giblin. “How can you ask the hands of the new administration to be tied by budget restraints if you produce a budget now?”
Giblin said if he is elected mayor there will be a budget produced in short order.
Jackson’s 2005 municipal budget totaled $32.5 million with a local tax levy of $15.9 million. The municipal tax rate increased 2.9 cents over 2004, to a rate of 59.9 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
The 2004 municipal budget totaled $31.2 million with a local tax levy of $14.5 million.
Property owners will not see any impact from a revaluation of property that Jackson is undergoing. Tax Assessor Dennis Raftery said the new property assessments will not come into play until 2008.