By VASHTI HARRIS
Staff Writer
SPOTSWOOD – The factors impacting this year’s budget increase in Spotswood include the rising cost of public safety functions, insurance and pension liabilities.
The 2017 municipal budget totals $10.58 million, Business Administrator Dawn McDonald said during a Borough Council meeting on March 20.
The local tax levy will be $6.8 million, a slight increase from the 2016 tax levy of $6.67 million, according to the budget presentation.
The 2017 municipal tax rate will be 92 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The average home in the borough is assessed at $254,915 and the owner of that home will pay $2,345 in municipal taxes, about $44 more than last year, according to McDonald.
Factors impacting this year’s budget include an increase in public safety functions, an increase in insurance costs of $38,000, an increase in pension liabilities of $46,500, and officials’ decision to continue to aggressively pay down debt, according to Mayor Edward Seely’s budget presentation.
Officials will used $1.29 million from surplus funds (savings) as revenue in the budget. State aid in the amount of $715,651 will be received, according to McDonald.
Capital improvements for 2017 range from purchasing a new garbage truck to road construction improvements.
“Capital improvements in this budget include the purchase of a new garbage truck, a trailer mounted vacuum excavator for catch basin cleaning, and a sewer jetter.
“If it is determined to continue with an in-house municipal emergency medical services (EMS) division, the borough will also need to purchase a new ambulance and a responder vehicle.
“Road construction projects funded and planned in the 2016 budget will commence in the spring, including Crescent Avenue, Snowhill Street, Hefron Drive and Madie Avenue Phase II,” McDonald said.
The only new municipal employee being hired is Donna Faulkenberry, who is replacing the longtime director of the Office on Aging, Janine Balazs, who recently passed away, according to McDonald.
There are several upcoming retirements in 2017 and officials intend to fill those positions with new hires or promotions from the current staff, she said.
To try to deal with budget concerns, officials have been seeking outsourcing solutions in regard to Spotswood’s paid EMS division.
Because of a shortage in volunteers, Spotswood converted its volunteer rescue squad to a paid division in the Department of Public Safety in 2005.
The emergency medical technicians who currently staff the borough’s ambulances are part-time borough employees funded through billable call revenue and also subsidized by municipal tax dollars, according to the presentation.
In 2016, voters rejected a ballot question which asked if they would support a paid full-time EMS system.
EMS staff turnover rates – 57 percent in 2016 and 75 percent in 2015 – as well as increased costs and reduced billable call volume have resulted in officials re-examining the means of delivering this service to residents, McDonald said.
“In November 2016, the results of a ballot question indicated that Spotswood residents are not in support of funding a paid full-time EMS system, which would address the staff turnover rate.
“The borough is currently soliciting proposals for an outside contract service. Mayor Seely has appointed a citizens advisory committee to assist borough officials with recommendations as to the future of EMS services within the borough,” she said.
To review the 2017 budget, visit www.spotswoodboro.com and click on the 2017 Budget Presentation by Mayor Seely tab.
Spotswood maintains its own water and sewer utility. The budget for the water and sewer utility, which is self-sustaining and is not funded by tax dollars, is $3.43 million, according to McDonald.
One factor impacting this fund is an increase in Middlesex County Utilities Authority fees of $272,735, according to officials. The increase is based on a new Hach meter estimates for 2017 sewer flow, according to the presentation.
“However, water and sewer rates will remain flat,” McDonald said.
