PRINCETON: Muncipalities take hit in Corzine budget

By Kristine Snodgrass, Staff Writer
   The state budget proposed by Gov. Jon Corzine last week would cut funding for area municipalities, though not as much as some had feared.
   Overall, the budget proposed last Tuesday would cut funding to state municipalities by $32.3 million, according to figures by the state Department of Community Affairs. The majority of towns are expected to receive cuts of 5 percent or less. In total, municipal aid for 2010 tops $1.58 billion. Princeton Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi said its funding was reduced by more than $42,000, or 3.25 percent from last year.
   ”I hate to say it, but we thought it was originally going to be worse than that,” he said. “If there’s a silver lining in the cloud, it’s that we didn’t lose as much as we thought we might.”
   The borough planned for a decrease in funding in its budget planning, he said. It has been difficult, he said, because all other revenue sources are flat or down as well.
   ”This year, it’s tough all the way around,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of increases as you do every year in your fixed costs.”
   The administration will meet today, Tuesday, to decide how to compensate for the possible decrease, he said. The council has expressed its intent to increase taxes by zero percent this year.
   Princeton Township saw a larger decrease than the borough, at 3.9 percent compared to last year, said Administrator James Pascale. In total, the township is set to receive $1,919,812 in state aid.
   ”We can live with this reduction,” he said.
   Anticipating a decrease, the township’s draft budget was prepared assuming a slight reduction in state aid, he said.
   ”The bottom line is, while we’re unhappy, a $77,000 reduction can easily be absorbed within our $33 million budget,” he said.
   West Windsor Township Administrator Christopher Marion said state funding for the township is set to decrease by $115,567, or 4 percent. The township is set to receive $2,811,363 in total.
   ”Basically, it is what it is,” he said.
   A meeting will be held this week to discuss funding for the Public Works and Human Services departments, he said.
   ”As we get different pieces of the budget, we go back and review revenues and expenditures proposed,” he said. “It’s just a lot of calculating.”
   Plainsboro Administrator Bob Sheehan said the township’s state aid is down about $53,000, or 2.5 percent, compared to last year.
   ”We could certainly use the previous levels,” he said. “Under the circumstances, we’ll be able to cope with that.”
   While calculating the township’s proposed budget, which will be presented at the next committee meeting, it was assumed state aid would likely be reduced, he said.
   ”In our planning, it did not come as any great surprise,” he said.
   Montgomery Township Administrator Donato Nieman said the state aid for the township is set to decrease by $80,000, or 4.5 percent, compared to last year. Aid is expected to total about $1.8 million.
   ”We knew it was going to be possible,” he said. “We were led to believe it might have even been worse.”
   The increase will be absorbed into the budget, he said, taken out of surplus or reserve for uncollected taxes.
   ”We can’t raise that revenue through taxes because of the property tax cap,” he said.
   Rocky Hill Mayor Ed Zimmerman said state aid to the municipality fell by 2.5 percent from last year, to just under $100,000.
   ”I don’t think if you were to take away from one of the bigger towns that’s getting $5 or $10 million, they’d notice it,” he said. “Instead, we’re going to have to raise our taxes.”