By Joanne Degnan, Staff Writer
MILLSTONE — The Township Committee chose Nancy Grbelja as mayor once again during its 2011 reorganization meeting and adopted a $1.3 million temporary budget to run the government until a permanent budget is enacted.
Mayor Grbelja, who has been mayor six times before, predicted it would be a “monumental task” to put together this year’s municipal budget in the face of state cuts and declining revenues, according to a video broadcast of the Jan. 5 meeting.
”We’re really going to have to brainstorm and find the ways to try to provide the services to our residents and try to keep taxes as low as we can,” said Mayor Grbelja, 55, of Agress Road. Mayor Grbelja, who works for the New Jersey Education Association, was mayor in 2004 and every year from 2006 to 2011.
Township Committeeman Bob Kinsey, who was recently re-elected to his third three-year term, was administered the oath of office by Township Attorney Duane Davison. Mr. Kinsey had been deputy mayor since 2006, but said he was stepping aside this year due to time constraints and because it was “time to switch things around a bit” and give another person on Township Committee a chance.
Michael Kuczinski, 49, of Wagner Farm Lane, was unanimously elected by the committee to serve as the township’s deputy mayor. Mr. Kuczinski is a financial planner who has served on the committee since 2008.
In addition to the $1,323,360 temporary municipal operating budget, the Township Committee also approved a $50,000 capital improvement fund and a debt service fund totaling $448,256. State law allows municipalities to approve temporary budgets in January that may not exceed 26.5 percent of the final budget from the previous year, excluding capital improvements and debt service.
The committee also approved dozens of appointments to professional and volunteer positions at its reorganization meeting, including the reappointment of Mr. Davison as township attorney, Richard Coppola as township planner, and Annette Murphy as CFO, all for one-year terms. Matt Shafai was reappointed township engineer for the three-year term proscribed by state law.
Five appointments were approved to the Millstone Open Space and Farmland Preservation Council: Kristin Schloss and Christopher Kau to three-year terms; George Asprocolas to a two-year term; and Mr. Kuczinski and Anthony Marra to a one-year term.
There were four appointments made to the Agricultural Advisory Council, all for two-year terms: Tom Dancer, Randy Peck, Shirley Pinhas and Katie Halka.
The township also adopted a resolution authorizing a shared services agreement with Roosevelt that pays the township $6,000 for hearing borough cases in Millstone Municipal Court.
