South Brunswick is taking steps to eliminate its economic footprint in 2010 by initiating municipal furloughs and jump-starting budget processes.
Municipal employees will be required to take up to 12 furlough days in 2010. During these 12 one-day layoffs, which will occur once a month throughout the year, township buildings, including the recreation and senior centers, will also be shut down.
The furlough days and building closures will occur simultaneously on one Friday each month, although plans could be subject to change, according to township Chief Financial Officer Joe Monzo. Officials hope the one-day layoffs do not have to last throughout 2010, but it is dependent on the state of the economy.
Every municipal employee will be affected by the layoffs except for police and dispatchers, although Police Chief Raymond Hayducka and Deputy Chief Kevin Hughes will be required to take the furlough days. Part-time employees will also be affected by the cuts, as their part-time hours will be reduced by the same percentage as the fulltimers but on a weekly basis, Monzo said.
“I think we have the best employees in the state,” Mayor Frank Gambatese said at last Monday’s township reorganization meeting. “They try to help our residents in any way they can and it’s a pleasure to work with them [especially] as they deal with these tough economic times.”
Cost savings for the furloughs could reach approximately $582,000 if the initiative is followed through to December, according to Monzo. Potential cost savings for the building closures are unknown at this time, he said, but obvious costs such as utilities, supplies and cleaning would be cut for those days.
The township is also diving into budget processes earlier this year compared to previous years in an attempt to reap potential cost savings as soon as possible. Councilman Joseph Camarota said the township is starting nearly three months earlier than last year, including holding weekly budgetary meetings every Saturday in January.
Last year the township didn’t start budgetary discussions until the end of March, Camarota said, which pushed the full implementation of cost-saving methods to July 1. Having the budget meetings start in January, he said, will hopefully have everything implemented by early spring.
“We don’t have all numbers finalized yet,” Camarota said. “We’re just getting a quick start on it.”
On Jan. 9 officials held their first meeting with various township departments to discuss each department and its functions. Discussions included how many people were retiring and if attrition could be practiced instead of rehiring.
“It will not be easy, it will require our utmost attention, and we will have to be creative and fair,” Councilman Charlie Carley said.T
he township has a $2.3 million structural deficit that it has to tackle, as well as nearly $800,000 in increased medical costs. It is unknown at this time what the township’s surplus will be from last year, Camarota said.
“We have to cut spending somewhere or raise revenue,” he said.
But Carley said township residents have good reason to be optimistic for 2010 in terms of the economy, partially because several businesses, including high-tech brands, have recently announced their relocation into or expansion of operations within the township.
“There’s a lot of potential for economic improvements in South Brunswick,” Carley said.
Contact Jennifer Booton at
jbooton@gmnews.com.