By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
A series of public meetings on the township budget will begin Tuesday, according to officials.
Public Affairs Coordinator Ron Schmalz said the first in the series will take place Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. before the start of the Township Council meeting at the municipal building on Route 522.
The meetings will continue on Tuesdays and Saturdays as the council reviews Manager Matt Watkins proposed $46.5 million spending plan.
On March 1, Mr. Watkins told the council that there was large number of things it would need to go over in the plan before it is finally approved.
In order, however, to meet state timelines, the council is scheduled to introduce the budget at its next meeting Tuesday.
The proposed plan would carry an 8-cent increase in the tax rate that would amount to about $160 more in property taxes for the owner of an average township home valued at $190,000, according to Mr. Schmalz.
In his presentation last week, Mr. Watkins said the increase was due to increases in the town’s mandated pension contribution of about $700,000 and a 16 percent increase in premiums for employee benefits.
The budget meetings will look at each department of the township to see if any cuts can be made.
The proposed plan already has 10 layoffs included and Mr. Watkins said that staffing levels are already low.
”It is very difficult to work with 20 percent less staff,” Mr. Watkins said during his presentation last week.
In addition to the increases, the budget also suffers from a 4 percent drop in the value of the township’s tax base due to successful tax appeals, Mr. Watkins said.
Coupled with that, the sluggish economy has the town experiencing the lowest commercial growth in 25 years, Mr. Watkins said.
Members of the governing body want it to be clear that the proposal is not even close to a finished spending plan and that the proposed increase in taxes is not in stone.

