LAWRENCE: Hearing on budget set for May 6

Tax rate at 53 cents per $100 of assessed value

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   A public hearing on the proposed $43.1 municipal budget for 2014 has been set for May 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Township Council chambers at the Municipal Building.
   The 2014 budget, which is the first one to be prepared after last year’s township-wide property reassessment, sets the municipal property tax rate at 53 cents per $100 of assessed value. The owner of a house assessed at the township average of $281,970 would pay $1,486 in municipal property taxes.
   The tax levy — the amount to be raised by property taxes to support the 2014 municipal budget — is $24.1 million. This compares to $23.5 million for 2013. The amount to be raised by taxes for municipal purposes is $15,425 below the statutory 2-percent cap on increases to the tax levy.
   In addition to municipal property taxes, the 2014 budget calls for using $3.45 million in surplus funds as a source of revenue in the budget. This $100,000 more than was used in the 2013 budget.
   Other sources of revenue for the budget include licenses, fees and permits, plus Municipal Court fines, according to Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun.
   The amount of outstanding debt has continued to decrease — from $30.8 million in 2010 to $26.6 million in 2013. This is a decrease of $4.1 million over three years, despite new debt that has been authorized by Township Council.
   Mr. Krawczun also pointed out that when grants were subtracted from the budget, the 2014 municipal budget has increased by $170,000 — or .40 percent — over the 2013 budget, after grants were subtracted from that spending plan.
   The change includes an increase in the appropriation for the reserve for uncollected taxes of $131,708, Mr. Krawczun said. Therefore, the increase in operations is $38,728, or .09 percent.
   The reserve for uncollected taxes is factored into the budget so that money owed to the school district and the county can be paid to them. Municipalities double as tax collectors for school districts and county government.
   The 2014 municipal budget does not anticipate laying off employees, unlike prior budgets.
   The number of municipal employees has declined from 213 workers in 2007 to 173 in 2014. The reduction in the number of employees was spread across many municipal departments.