BY MICHAEL ACKER
Staff Writer
SOUTH RIVER – A municipal budget introduced by the Borough Council would increase municipal taxes by about $73 on the average borough home.
The $13.8 million budget is up $200,000 over last year’s, according to Council President David Sliker, who noted the council was able to bring the package under the state’s spending cap.
“It has been a tight budget for the past four or five years; ’08 will be even tighter,” Sliker said.
The budget includes a tax rate of $1.64 per $100 of assessed value. If the council adopts the budget as is, the owner of property assessed at the borough average of $83,189 – which would have a market value of $312,000 – will pay $1,364 in municipal taxes next year. Municipal taxes are one component of the property tax bill, along with school, county and open space taxes.
At the March 26 meeting, when the budget was introduced, Sliker noted that Republican Councilman John Trzeciak had been unable to attend Finance Committee meetings. Trzeciak said he could not make the meetings because he works in Jersey City. Fellow Republican Councilman Raymond Eppinger said he does not think the finance committee meetings should be held during the day, as they have been so far this year.
“It is not reasonable to schedule committee meetings of any kind during the work day with the governing body being made up of part-time people,” Eppinger said. “Mr. Trzeciak made it clear since the beginning of January that he can’t make it during those time periods, nor should anybody have to.”
Sliker, a Democrat, noted that Republican Councilman John Krenzel filled in for Trzeciak at one of the meetings.
The budget includes the renovation and expansion of the South River Public Library. Sliker noted that the council can use funds from the water budget surplus as the down payment on the bond for the library project.
Sliker said the council requested $250,000 in state extraordinary aid, but it may not be known how much will be awarded to South River until August or September. The aid would be used to reduce the tax increase currently being proposed.
The council, which is split evenly among Republicans and Democrats, unanimously approved the budget’s introduction, despite concerns from the GOP members.
Eppinger said he voted in favor of introducing the budget in order to meet the state’s deadline to apply for state aid. He added that he would like the Finance Committee to provide more detailed information to him so that he can contribute to the budget process.
Borough Business Administrator Andrew Salerno said he will work with Chief Financial Officer Siva Sivananthan to get the council support documents on the budget.
Sliker said, however, that information regarding the numbers in the budget has been made available to all members of the council. He added that he has not received any suggestions or comments from two of the council’s Republicans so far.
Also at the meeting, the council voted along party lines to amend an ordinance that allows them to proceed with the construction of a pedestrian walkway and bike path alongside the South River.
Republicans voted against the amendment, Democrats in favor, and Democratic Mayor Robert Szegeti then broke the 3-3 tie to support the amendment.
Szegeti said the borough will ultimately receive $1.63 million in grant funding for the project, and that the council is attempting to pay for the project using grant money over time.
“The sidewalk in front of the ballfields at Gregowski Park will be connected as part of the walkway,” Szegeti said. “We will try to make the walkway as natural as possible.”
Trzeciak said that while 80 percent of the bike path project is being funded with grants, the borough will still have to pay for its share, plus maintenance and a police presence after it is built.
Sliker defended the continuation of the project, noting that it has been three years since the governing body pursued any new project.
“Just because you have to maintain something, that is a poor excuse [to oppose the project],” he said.
Trzeciak rebutted that the path is not a necessary cost.
Eppinger said the Democrats may ultimately be unable to approve the bond increase for the work, because they will need four “yes” votes from the council.
“In order to pass the bond increase itself, they need four affirmative votes from the council …,” he told the Sentinel. “Our view of the bike path is it has the potential of being a great project, but at this point, we have to prioritize. We believe that if any capital project of this magnitude is going to be done, the library is paramount in importance.”
Szegeti defended Democrats’ support of the pathway, saying it is a quality-of-life issue.
“The people who pay taxes deserve services and programs,” Szegeti said.