T.F council split on budget approval

T.F. council split on budget approval
Skudera: Budget issues were inherited
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer

TINTON FALLS — The Borough Council approved the 2009 budget last week after several sessions of contentious debate.

During its Aug. 4 meeting, the council approved an amended budget with a 3-2 vote.

The vote was the same as the roll call when an amendment to the budget was introduced at the July 21 meeting, with council members Scott Larkin, NancyAnne Fama and Gary Baldwin voting to approve the budget, and Andrew Mayer and Duane Morrill voting against it.

The amended budget raised the tax rate by 2.7 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, while the budget originally called for a flat tax rate. The tax rate went from 35.3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to 38 cents.

The total spending plan is $21.6 million with a tax levy of $11.4 million. The approved amendment resulted in an $805,823 increase in the tax levy. The increase will cost the owner of a house valued at the borough average of $343,760 an extra $92 annually in municipal taxes.

The amendment was in keeping with advice from Chief Financial Officer Stephen Pfeffer, who had urged the council to raise the tax rate to the maximum allowed by the state, which caps increases at 4 percent year to year.

"I can't support a budget that has an increase with this amendment without looking at what more we can do," Mayer said.

Baldwin, who pushed hard for approval of the amended budget, explained that the tax increase is necessary for the borough.

"Most of the budget is pretty non-discretionary at this point," he said. "We are not up to the 4 percent level; almost every other borough is. You ought to be moving it up a little bit every year because if not, you're going to be behind every year."

The council faced heat during the public hearing for the amendment, with residents pleading with the council to reconsider raising taxes and to instead cut services, including funding for the library and the recreation department.

Baldwin disagreed. He said the recreation department could be partially self-sustaining but would still need funding from the borough.

"There is a certain amount of tax money that needs to go to things like recreation," he said. "Recreation should not be fully funded by those kids or parents of those kids."

Mayer argued that the council should examine further which programs' funding could be cut back.

"Some programs are more self-sustaining than others," he said. "What's the threshold we are willing to pay from the borough's perspective?"

Baldwin said that cuts could be made, but it would affect the quality of life in the borough.

"I think we as taxpayers have to understand, even the library, you can go in and cut the library and save half a million," he said. "Is that the right thing for us to do for the citizens of this borough?

"We can lop off a couple of cops, get rid of some public employees; I can find a lot of money to save," he added. "But it doesn't make sense in the big scheme of things."

Not all residents supported making drastic cuts.

"We are all laborers in this town, and I don't want to see services cut for the kids' rec program," said Leo Lomangino, "and I don't want to see cops that may be my neighbor fired or someone who works for public works.

"Because if they get fired, they lose their houses, so it is all connected," he added.

Morrill agreed, saying, "That quality of life costs money, it doesn't come free."

Lomangino said that arguing among members of the council should not continue.

"I beg of this governing body not to politicize this budget," he said. "Really, let's lock down and get together. There are some great ideas right here, but let's not politicize it."

Tinton Falls Mayor Michael Skudera, who took office in July, distanced himself from the current budget.

"This budget is a budget we inherited," he said. "I took office little more than a month ago, worked with the administration to make cuts."

Skudera cited the late date in the year as the reason the council needed to adopt the budget.

"The problem is we are in August," he said. "Alot of the good ideas we had we can apply them to next year, but we are in August.

"If we don't secure the funds, we could start out 2010 in a $1.5 million hole," he added. "That's a lot to make up in one year. Bottom line is, we have looked at cuts and we have made cuts, but we're in August."

Contact Kenny Walter at

kwalter@gmnews.com.


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