Tax to rise despite increase in state aid
By: Dick Brinster
EAST WINDSOR The Township Council is formulating a budget which is expected to result in a 3.5-cent tax rate increase.
It benefits from a $91,252 increase in state aid, the first hike in five years, but Mayor Janice Mironov said that doesn’t make up for other state-mandated increases.
The budget, with a 51.4-cent tax rate per $100 of assessed valuation, is expected to be introduced in late April. The increase means the owner of home assessed at the township average of $132,500, would receive a bill of $681, up about $45 from last year.
Mayor Mironov called the pending financial document "tight."
"The operating expense categories have been basically maintained as flat, and even reduced in some departments," she said after the council received requests Tuesday night from several department heads whose numbers would create a budget of $19.9 million.
That’s up nearly $1 million from a year ago, a boost Ms. Mironov attributes mainly to state-mandated increases in pension costs and a boost in areas such as insurance, utilities and Social Security.
The budget includes a nearly 2 percent increase in state aid, to $4.8 million, but the mayor said the impact is not as dramatic as it might appear.
"That amount is more than wiped out because the state has transferred back to the municipality an additional $334,647 for pensions costs," she said. "We certainly appreciate that there’s a focus which there hasn’t been in many years to provide additional funds to towns and schools to help offset property taxes locally.
"But the amount is not very substantial after five years of no increases and the added state burdens put on the towns."
The budget, on which work will continue at a meeting at 9 a.m. Saturday, calls for $853,267 for pensions. Insurance costs are expected to rise $116,270 to $3.4 million. The cost of utilities should rise by about $26,000 and Social Security contributions are expected to rise by about $31,000.
Salaries and wages, which comprise the largest line item expenditure in the budget, are pegged at $8.6 million, an increase of $337,000. Police salaries and wages are expected to rise $188,000 to $5 million.
Surplus is expected to remain at $4.2 million.
"This represents a tight, very conservative budget, which is fiscally sound and enables the town to continue to provide the type and quality of service we’ve given our residents for years through our many departments," the mayor said.
The local tax rate was increased by almost the same amount last year.
The council heard Tuesday night from Police Chief William Spain, Township Clerk Cindy Dye and from the heads of the Municipal Court, Recreation, Health and Finance departments, and some of the volunteer boards. Some of the them, such as Rochelle Shifman, chairwoman of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, asked for the same amount of funding they received last year.
"We’re flat," Ms. Shifman informed in asking for $5,285.
"Flat is a good thing," the mayor said. "We like flat. The only thing that’s better is reductions."
Ms. Mironov said the council will hear requests Saturday from the heads of other volunteer boards and fire and rescue units in addition to the heads of the Public Works and Construction departments.

