FAIR HAVEN – The Borough Council passed a resolution to amend the municipal budget previously introduced to reflect changes made after losing $139,000 in state aid.
During the July 14 council meeting, Borough Administrator Mary Howell thanked members of borough departments for coming up with savings.
Mayor Michael Halfacre congratulated Howell, along with Chief Financial Officer Denise Jawidzik on finding new ways to save, after council had resolved to “sharpen its pencils.”
“They got us into a better position tax rate-wise than we were in previously, even with the loss of $139,000 of our money that the state is keeping from us,” Halfacre said.
“Our tax rate will drop by a penny per $100 of assessed value, which I think in this day and age is a great thing.
Councilman Jon Peters was positive about the borough’s efforts to be more efficient in light of diminished state support and rising gas prices.
“I’m hopeful that we’re taking steps in the right direction,” he said.
In another effort to enhance municipal savings, the council discussed the preliminary results of the Two River Regional Police Study, presented at a joint meeting on July 9 to the involved towns: Fair Haven, Little Silver and Rumson (see related story on page 1).
“That report is not complete yet, the meeting that we had was part of the process to complete that report,” Halfacre said. “Yes, it is feasible to share services between the three police departments in the three towns. There are a number of obstacles, both structural and personal to overcome.”
Councilman Christopher Rinn said there could be opportunities to ask Trenton for significant financial support in items such as dispatch support.
“We could see significant savings and also receive a significant amount of infrastructure and tools,” he said.
Peters agreed with the possible savings and opportunities.
“Taking some minor steps in the way we do business will help us in the long run,” he said.
Halfacre reiterated that there would be no layoffs or reduction in service as a result of the study or its recommendations.
“No decisions have been made one way or another,” he said. “However, I do believe there is a significant savings if we go forward. We owe it to our taxpayers to continue to look at that.”
During the public comment, Chris Hempstead a borough resident and member of the Zoning Board cautioned officials against advertising shared police services as a means of saving money for the borough.
“My guess is if you should merge sometime down the road and save money, the state is just going to take those savings away,” he said.
Halfacre responded that he thought that eventually the municipalities would get nothing back from the state.
“We have to look at every possible alternative to save money,” he said. “We have to start acting self-sufficient and this is one way that we can start.”
The revised municipal budget is due for public hearing at the next council meeting on July 28.