By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
LAMBERTVILLE — The City Council on Monday unanimously introduced a $4.26 million budget that would increase the tax levy by about 2 percent while paying off more debt in a single year than the city’s ever done before and giving residents one of their favorite services, a citywide cleanup known as Sparkle Week, Mayor David Del Vecchio said.
The public hearing on the proposed spending plan will be held May 9 at 7 p.m. at the Justice Center, 25 S. Union St.
At first glance, the proposed spending plan with a 2 percent increase would mean an approximately $31 increase for the average homeowner.
However, the increase could end up being approximately $235, or 23.58 percent above the cap, if voters on April 27 — the same day voters will address school issues at the polls — approve a ballot question that seeks to transfer the $430,000 cost of garbage and recycling collection back into the budget.
Last year, the city removed the cost of collection from the budget. For the first time, citizens who had previously paid for the service through their property taxes began paying a separate fee of $200.
The outcome of the ballot question would affect the city’s bookkeeping, but it wouldn’t yet affect how much citizens pay for the service. If the ballot question passes, citizens still would pay $200, but the fee would be included in their property taxes rather than billed as a separate charge.
The tax levy would be $2,207,975 if the garbage collection cost is returned to the budget.
The tax levy would be $1,777,975 if the garbage collection fee remains as it is now and is billed separately from property taxes.
After citizens decide in the voting booth how they want to pay for garbage collection, the city “will figure out if there is any more efficient way to do it,” Mayor Del Vecchio said.
Since the establishment of the separate $200 fee last year, some citizens have complained it is inequitable because the same amount is charged no matter how few or how many trash bags are tossed out. Also, the charge is levied per unit. An apartment owner with four units, for example, pays $800.
Monday night, the mayor said he’d heard from numerous citizens that they want the tax advantage of paying for the service through their property taxes.
If voters approve the ballot question, the tax rate would increase from 24.1 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to 30.7 cents. In this instance, citizens would not pay a separate fee for garbage collection. Instead, the fee would be folded into their taxes.
If the ballot question fails, the tax rate would increase to 24.7 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. In this instance, citizens would still pay a separate $200 fee for garbage collection.
This year, when the average assessment is $357,866, the average homeowner would pay $1,099 with a proposed tax rate of 30.7 cents.
Last year, when the average assessment was $358,626 and the tax rate was 24.1 cents, the average homeowner paid $864.
Mayor Del Vecchio said the budget would allow Lambertville to pay off more debt in a year than ever before. The debt payment would be $646,419, or about 15 percent of the total budget.
About 18 percent of the budget, or $762,000, would be eaten up by pensions and benefits.
The budget would leave about $90,000 in surplus after applying $142,400 to expenses.
Purchases will include additional equipment for snow removal and digital parking meter upgrades. In addition to the planned upgrades that would allow the insertion of nickels and dimes, not only quarters, the city also is investigating a program that would allow cell phone users to reserve more time on their meter if the are occupied in a shop or restaurant, according to the mayor.
No salary increases are planned for city employees other than those already contracted for nine full-time police officers.
Two possible salary increases for half a year might be given if the acting clerk and the acting chief financial officer achieve certification in their respective fields, the mayor said.
The city will continue working with a reduced staff, which began last year, with only nine officers, 1.5 positions in the Municipal Court, two in the Clerk’s Office and five in Public Works.

