SOUTH BRUNSWICK: Town takes state aid hit

by Davy James, Staff Writer
   The township was hit with a cut of $164,580 in state aid for the upcoming year, a figure that is larger than what was anticipated when the proposed budget was presented last week.
   South Brunswick now will receive about $6.3 million in state aid.
   ”I was surprised that the cut was even more than what we anticipated based on the governor’s budget address,” said Councilman Joe Camarota. “What the governor is saying is that the quote, ‘prosperous rich towns,’ are going to have to suffer more than other towns. We have apparently been put in that category of most able to suffer.”
   Gov. Jon Corzine said during his budget speech last week that there would be a 2 percent cut to municipalities in state aid, which would have cut approximately $125,000 from the amount in state aid South Brunswick received in 2008.
   ”I’m very disappointed that our state aid will decrease more so than what we thought,” Mr. Camarota said. “We’ll have to find different ways to massage the budget and keep service up.”
   Last week, the township presented a proposed budget, which cut spending by $1.5 million from last year’s $49.5 million budget. Overall, the proposed budget would be 3.4 percent less than last year, but there would be a 4-cent tax increase.