By Mary Brienza, Staff Writer
The $46.8 million municipal budget passed by a vote of 4-1 Tuesday night with Councilman Joe Camorata voting no.
”The state continues to handcuff what we can and can’t do,” Mr. Camorata said, chiding the state for controlling too much of the municipal budget process.
”Unfortunately, the state is asking too much from us,” Mr. Camorata said. “Until that culture change, until something happens that’s different, and I am working on that, I cannot support this budget.”
The budget will keep the municipal tax rate flat at 72 cents per $100 of assessed value, according to Township Manager Matt Watkins.
While the rate remains flat, residents will see about a 7-cent per $100 of assessed value increase to fund the South Brunswick Public Library, according to officials.
The increase comes from a recent state law allowing municipalities to put library funding on a separate tax line. That will mean about a $160 increase in property taxes for the owner of a house valued at $190,000.
”The law requires the statutory minimum funding for municipal libraries be raised through a separate and dedicated tax line on the property tax bill,” Library Director Chris Carbone said in a statement earlier.
In April, voters approved the school district’s $134 million budget, which carried a tax increase of 12 cents per $100 of assessed value.
The owner of a $190,000 home will pay approximately $400 more in property taxes this year to fund the school district, municipal government and library.
A drop in assessed value and successful tax appeals led to these increase, according to officials. Mr. Watkins said the township lost about $168 million in value or a 4.3 percent decrease in the taxable value of the municipality.
During Tuesday night’s meeting, Mr. Watkins said the council worked on the budget for more than six months, including 15 to 20 separate meetings, in order to reduce expenditures.
”It’s been a struggle,” Mr. Watkins said. “We’ve done a lot (to reduce costs).”
Mr. Watkins said municipal staffing has been reduced by about 20 percent during the last five years.
Township spokesman Ron Schmalz said earlier that there were seven layoffs of township employees that took place already this year, and 11 more employees who are retiring whose positions will not be filled because of a township hiring freeze that has been in effect for about six years.
Mr. Schmalz said the positions that were eliminated were three in the finance office, one in the clerk’s office, a legal aid assistant in the township attorney’s office, a clerk in the tax assessor’s office and a secretary in the social services office.
Mayor Frank Gambatese said the township couldn’t keep losing people.
Those decisions are tough and not pleasant, and the township cannot go any lower employee-wise, Mr. Gambatese said.
Officials said a total of 33 employees have been laid off in the past two years.
Mayor Gambatese warned the township couldn’t lay off any more workers, and the next items to be cut in the future would be services.
