Discussions ongoing with neighboring towns about providing police service.
By: Paul Sisolak
ROCKY HILL The Borough Council postponed the adoption May 5 of an anticipated $943,380 municipal budget.
According to Borough Auditor Bob Morrison, a 5-percent budget cap has allowed Rocky Hill to develop plans for traffic-calming methods. The council, he said, is holding off adopting the budget until a spending plan for an estimated $22,000 set aside for the traffic plan is developed.
"Until we know how to spend that money, we don’t know how to put it in the budget," he said.
In a related issue, Mayor Brian Nolan said he has been in discussion with representatives of neighboring municipalities regarding a pilot program to provide additional police support for the borough. Currently, State Police from the Wilburtha barracks in West Trenton provide Rocky Hill with law enforcement service.
Under the proposed budget, borough homeowners will pay 53 cents per $100 of assessed property value. For the sixth year in a row, Rocky Hill residents will not face an increase in the municipal tax rate.
The total amount to be raised by taxes this year to support the municipal budget is set at $325,000, or $2,230 more than last year’s $322,770.
The borough this year will make its annual debt payment of $18,000 to Somerset County toward the purchase of the Schafer Tract, acquired six years ago for a public recreation area. The debt will be paid over a 20-year period.
"Rocky Hill has as much cash in the bank as they’ve ever had," said Mr. Morrison. "They’re paying off their debt on an authorized basis."