Higher costs, lower income force 10.7 percent rate hike.
By: Rebecca Weltmann
The Township Committee approved a $27.4 million municipal budget for 2007 Tuesday on a 4-1 vote, with Committeeman Paul Drake casting the single no vote.
The average homeowner will have to pay a total of $1,393, $134 more annually with the proposed tax rate for 2007, Mayor Anthony Ferrera said. The new municipal tax rate will be 39.8 cents per $100 of assessed value. The average township assessed value is $350,000.
Last year, the budget totaled $25.7 million, with a tax rate of 35.96 cents per $100 in assessed value, with the average municipal portion of the tax bill $1,258.60.
"This budget provides the necessary funding for what we need in the township," Mayor Ferrera said. "It is as lean a budget as we can produce this year. Our state-mandated costs and other increases conspired to require a raise in the taxes."
Among things driving up the budget up this year are what the mayor called "things beyond the township’s control," such as pensions, increase in cost of utilities, lost police grants, Municipal Court security features, the charter study, health benefits and a gypsy moth spraying.
The charter study itself is about $22,630 and the gypsy moth spraying is about $8,640.
The budget anticipates the township will receive $200,000 less in construction fees and $135,000 less from the sale of assets than in 2006, and budgeted a contribution from the Somerville Business Park transload facility $300,000 less than the $600,000 realized in the 2006 budget.
Mr. Drake, a member of the Finance Committee who worked on the budget for two of the three years he has been on the Republican-controlled Township Committee, called himself the "lone Democrat" as he explained why he couldn’t vote in favor of approving the municipal budget.
"Living in Hillsborough and in the state of New Jersey is very expensive and we need to look very carefully at how we structure taxes at the municipal level," Mr. Drake said. "I take this obligation very seriously. I voted against it when we introduced it and I think this budget still needs work."
Among the things Mr. Drake said needs to be looked at again are ways of trimming down the budget so the tax burden is lower for the taxpayers. Exploring more green technology and cutting back costs by investing in more environmentally sound ideas are just some of the things Mr. Drake suggested the committee focus on.
"I really advocate the concept of ‘dark skies,’ where we would cut back on the light pollution," he said regarding a movement seeking to reduce light pollution by reducing the number street lights in use. "It not only makes the township more environmentally friendly, but we’re paying close to $330,000 for all the street lamps in the township. If we can turn off some that are unnecessary, and somehow save something like $100,000, I think that we need to do that."
He added that one of the expenditures, that of the state-mandated increase in Municipal Court security, is one that they can appeal for help from the state. "Fines and fees sent to courts in Trenton should be able to pay directly for increased Municipal Court security," he said. "I don’t think that’s unreasonable. It is an added cost we all pay."
Deputy Mayor Lisa Nisivoccia, a Finance Committee member, said while she agreed that the committee should look into ways of trimming the budget and becoming more environmentally friendly, she said the budget this year is as good as it can be.
"Where we can control costs, we have," she said. "This budget adds no new full-time positions. The township not only has the same number of full-time positions budgeted in 2007 as 2006, that number is still below the number of full-time employees six years ago."
Ms. Nisivoccia also said the township’s legal expenses have not increased in four years.
"In fact, less funds are budgeted for legal costs today than in 2002," she said. "Most departmental other expense accounts have been held at last year’s level. All in all, the 2007 Hillsborough budget puts our departments in the best position to deliver services without overburdening taxpayers."