By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer
CRANBURY — The township unanimously approved its $11.345 million budget Monday, guaranteeing residents will see no municipal tax rate increase in 2009.
The municipal tax rate was set at 3.95 cents per $100 of assessed value. Under that rate, the owner of a home assessed at the township average of $635,871 can expect to pay $2,511 in municipal taxes, the same as the current year, said Denise Marabello, the township’s chief financial officer.
According to the budget, total miscellaneous revenues were down this year from $3.757 million in 2008 to $2.917 million in 2009. Total general revenues also decreased from last year’s $6.950 million to this year’s $6.710 million.
According to the budget, the township will use $1.580 million in surplus, up from $1.543.
On the expenditures side, all employees other than police with medical benefits were given 1.5 percent salary increase, which is being used to premium share toward the cost of health insurance, according to Ms. Marabello’s presentation. In all, Cranbury has 36 full-time and 37 part-time employees.
According to the budget, administrative and executive wages grew to $216,700 from $192,656; financial administration salaries grew to $172,586 from $144,550; salaries for the collection of taxes dropped to $27,900 from $47,000; buildings and grounds dropped to $36,601 from $43,895; and police salaries and wages grew to 2.032 million from $1.968 million.
Township officials decreased its capital improvement appropriations from last year’s allocated $60,000 to this year’s $50,000.
The township also lost approximately $25,000 in state aid, receiving around $615,000 in 2009.
Debt service also dipped from $3.428 million in 2008 to this year’s $1.814 million. Nine percent of the total operating budget costs were out of the municipality’s control, Ms. Marabello said, as they were state-mandated yet not offset by state funding.
The largest of these expenses include the library, which received $616,181 and both the Police and Firemen Retirement System and the Public Employee Retirement System pension, which totaled $356,015, Ms. Marabello said.
Mayor Pari Stave commended library officials who attended the meeting for their contribution of $18,000 from its surplus to the municipality to help stabilize the tax rate.
”At a time where we see cuts in municipal staffing compromising public services, I think we can be very proud (of our budget),” said Committeeman David Stout.
To view Ms. Marabello’s budget presentation in its entirety, log onto the township Web site at www.cranburytownship.org/ 2009%20budget-6.pdf.

