The Borough Council unanimously adopted its municipal budget of more than $6.5 million after making several amendments in the past few months.
By Amy Batista, Special Writer
HIGHTSTOWN — The Borough Council unanimously adopted its municipal budget of more than $6.5 million after making several amendments in the past few months.
The new budget calls for a 1.5-cent increase to the municipal tax rate, bringing it to $1.13 per $100 of assessed value. In 2012, the tax rate was 90.3 cents per $100 of assessed value.
”The estimated tax rate is $1.125 mainly because of the reassessment where the total assessed values decreased, and the tax rate increased,” Chief Financial Officer George Lang said.
The budget will increase taxes for the average homeowner by $3.34 per month. The average township household, assessed at $212,370, will receive a municipal tax bill of about $2,391, which is an increase of $40.02 from 2012.
“The average tax increase is still about $40 if the assessed values were the same for both years,” Lang said. “It is difficult to compare two years after a revaluation or reassessment. The $212,370 is the new average residential assessment. Last year, the average residential assessment was $266,798.””We watch the budget closely,” Council President Larry Quattrone said during the June 17 council meeting. “This year’s budget is as tight as you want to see it. In fact, it scares me every year we get down near November.”
Councilman Robert Thibault said, “I have to vote for the budget this year because we need to fund ongoing things, but next year things are going to change.”
He said the council should look at ways to reduce costs, including shared services and putting “everything out to bid.”
”The goal of government should be to provide services its residents need and want at the lowest possible cost,” Mr. Thibault said.
According to Mayor Steven Kirson, the last amendments made to the budget prior to its adoption at the June 17 meeting increased the borough administrator salary line by $35,000; anticipated $10,000 more in receipts from the taxes collected; and decreased the allotment for police salaries by $20,000.
Mr. Lang said the borough also would receive another Clean Communities grant.
Prior to the council adopting the budget, Mr. Thibault passed out a sheet of concerns, “The Top Ten Reasons Your Borough Property Taxes Are So High.”
The reasons included tax exempt properties existing in town, Peddie School being tax exempt and exempt from inspection fees on rental properties, employees’ health plan, the borough’s buying back sick days, employee salary raises above 2 percent, taxi fees that are half what nearby municipalities charge and money spent on attending conferences and meetings.
”If we are going to try and solve our tax problem, that’s the way we have to do it,” Mr. Thibault said.
Councilwoman Lynne Woods said she would like to see the council pursue the concerns and questions Mr. Thibault raised on his list.
“I would like to see some of these questions answered,” Ms. Woods said. “How would we legally do these? How can we legally do this? Is it a lawsuit?”Ms. Woods said she would like to see a subcommittee or the entire council discussing the topics.
”I would like to see it start now after we just finished the budget,” Councilwoman Susan Bluth said.adding the council should host budget workshops.
”I think we have been so wrapped up in other issues that we have not been able to address these other issues that are vital,” Ms. Woods said.
Mr. Quattrone asked Borough Attorney Frederick Raffetto to review the list for “what we are allowed to do and not allowed to do.”
According to Mr. Thibault, the total tax rate for the average house in Hightstown is in the top 6 percent of the largest tax rates in the state, and New Jersey has the highest property tax in the country.
Resident Charles Harlich expressed his concern about property taxes during the public comment session.
”I would’ve loved to have heard a ‘yeah, isn’t that great’ or ‘isn’t that important, let’s make certain this happens,’” Mr. Harlich said.
According to Mr. Harlich, he is looking for “management and leadership” from his representatives.
Mr. Thibault asked the audience to “stay involved” and to help him find ways and identify areas in the budget to “cut your taxes or just keep them stable.”
Mr. Lang will be performing a self-evaluation of the budget based on Department of Community Affairs guidelines.
“What’s the advantage of having the self-examination?” Councilwoman Woods asked.
“It helps the DCA,” Mr. Lang said. “They can’t look at 566 municipalities every single year. They don’t have the manpower. As it is, they are struggling with the one-third.”
Every third year, the department review the budget, Mr. Lang said, adding the department has done so for the past 15 years and the review is not an audit.
The department examined the municipal budget last year, according to Mr. Lang. He said the review could delay the adoption of the budget at times.
“This is very difficult to understand, and we don’t always get the information we need to make what I think are good decisions,” Councilman Thibault said.