No municipal tax hike seen for sixth year in a row.
By: Paul Sisolak
ROCKY HILL Adoption of the borough’s 2003 municipal budget was delayed Monday evening because the Borough Council was unable to raise a quorum of members.
Three of six council members Richard Batchelder, Martin Engelbrecht and Charles Pihokken were absent from the meeting.
The $943,380 budget marks the sixth year in a row borough residents will not have a tax increase. The tax rate will be 53 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at the borough average of $209,000 will pay $1,107.70 in municipal taxes.
The borough has not conducted a revaluation for the past six years, a period when the market price of real estate has risen substantially.
When adopted, a total of $325,000 will be raised in taxes to support the budget $2,230 more than last year’s $322,770.
Borough Clerk Raymond Whitlock said the Borough Council is expected to hold a special meeting by the first week in July with all council members present to vote on the budget’s adoption. The meeting, he said, will be open for public comment except for budgetary issues, which were open for discussion at a public hearing on Monday evening.
Mayor Brian Nolan, who votes only in the event of a tie, provided enough of a council quorum at the meeting to hold the public hearing.