Budgets adopted in most towns

By: Cara Latham
   Most local municipalities have given final approval of their 2007 municipal budgets. The Register-News previously reported the adoption of the municipal budgets in Chesterfield, Fieldsboro, New Hanover and North Hanover.
   Here is a roundup of the rest of the area municipal budgets.
Bordentown Township
   In Bordentown Township, the Township Committee introduced its $8.65 million budget June 26. The proposed tax rate is 49 cents per $100 of assessed property value, up from last year’s rate of 47 cents per $100.
   With the average house in the township assessed at $132,133, this would mean a municipal tax bill of $647 for the owner of a home assessed at the municipal average, up $26 from last year’s tax bill of $621.
   The reasons for the proposed increase include higher expenditures for pension funding as well as increases in health care costs. There also was an increase of approximately $51,600 in Emergency Management Services and an increase in the reserve for uncollected taxes.
   The date of the public hearing was not immediately available from township officials.
Bordentown City
   In Bordentown City, the $4.77 million budget — adopted on June 11 — includes a 3.7 percent municipal tax rate increase. The tax rate will rise by about 5.2 cents, from last year’s rate of $1.402 per $100 of assessed property value to $1.45. This means a municipal tax bill of about $1,523 for the owner of an average-assessed $105,000 house.
   Mayor John Collom said that the 2007 budget is just under cap. The city will not have any new programs, and officials cut spending from salary accounts, specifically police and public works’ employees’ overtime.
Florence
   In Florence, the township’s $10.2 million budget, adopted in May, includes an increase of approximately $854,610 over last year’s $9.4 million budget, but the municipal tax rate remains stable.
   The amount to be raised through taxation is $3.6 million, $244,837 more than last year.
   The budget carries a tax rate of 60.7 cents per $100 of assessed property value — the same as last year’s — meaning that the owner of a property assessed at the township average of $117,248 will see a bill of $711.
   The tax rate was able to stay the same because of an increase in the ratable base, officials said. Other factors that helped prevent a tax increase included a $130,000 Transportation Trust Fund grant received by the township. Items that added to the overall budget included the increasing cost of gasoline, pensions and a property revaluation.
Mansfield
   In Mansfield, the Township Committee adopted its $6,584,125 budget — of which $2,163,947 will be raised through taxation — in April. The tax rate dropped almost in half to about 17 cents per $100 of assessed property value, as a result of a revaluation done this year.
   For the average assessed house (estimated at $333,530) this would mean a municipal tax bill of about $567, although Chief Financial Officer Joseph Monzo said last week that the county has not yet made finalized the tax rate. Last year’s tax rate was 31.5 cents.
   The budget is an approximate 8.5 percent increase over the last year’s, mainly due to an increase of employee health care costs and the rise in tipping fees associated with the landfill.
Springfield
   In Springfield, the Township Committee adopted its $3.35 million 2007 budget in April. The budget carries a tax rate of 33.13 cents per $100 of assessed property value, which is up 2.23 cents from last year. The municipal tax bill would be about $1,057 for the owner of a house assessed at the township average of $319,184. That’s a $71 increase over last year’s bill.
   The budget has actually decreased from last year’s budget by about $48,399 because of a $73,000 highway safety grant that the township received in 2006 from the state Department of Transportation, but did not receive this year.
   Of the $3.35 million budget, about $1.44 million will be raised through taxation. The reason for the tax increase was due to normal operating cost increases, municipal officials said. The only capital improvement in this year’s budget is $300,000 needed for the township’s affordable housing program.