Amended T.F. budget seeds road program

Amended T.F. budget seeds road program
$50K cut from department budgets allocated for roads
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer

TINTON FALLS — The Borough Council amended the 2010 budget last week, allocating approximately $50,000 gleaned from department budgets to build a future road program.

The council voted 5-0 Sept. 7 to approve an amendment to fund roadwork and earmark over $50,000 in the capital fund for road improvements.

Borough Director of Finance Stephen Pfeffer explained where the $50,000 came from.

“We went through various appropriations within the budget with all the department heads at the recommendation of the council president,” he said. “We have come up with a list of reductions in these budget line items.

“The intent of the amendment was to come up with the seed money for a road program in the future to help offset bonding,” he added.

Pfeffer said that he expected the borough to build up the funds over multiple years before beginning to use the money.

“The $50,000 will be transferred to the capital fund and will be earmarked in the capital fund to be built on for future years,” he added. “The ultimate decision is the council’s. The administration can say, ‘Let’s put together a road program,’ and they can say, ‘Let’s use this money,’ but ultimately that’s the council’s decision.”

The $22 million 2010 budget was originally on the agenda to be approved in July, but a state review delay gave the administration and council a window to move the funds around for the road program.

The $22 million budget, up from last year’s $21.6 million spending plan, includes an $11.7 million tax levy and an increase in the tax rate of 1.26 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, bringing the tax rate to 39.26 cents per $100.

The budget also includes a 0.75-cent decrease in the borough’s open space tax rate and factors in a $383,000 decrease in state aid from last year.

The budget reflects over $70,000 anticipated in state aid, but in order to receive the funds, the budget must score high on the state’s Best Practices Worksheet.

“Recently we received the Best Practices Worksheet from the state and are in the process of completing it,” Pfeffer said. “How we score determines what our final state aid payment will be.

“The final state aid payment is scheduled as $70,986, and the worksheet is due back to the state on Oct. 1,” he added. “We need to score 80 percent or better to receive 100 percent of the aid.”

Pfeffer said the worksheet covers general management, operational management, public safety, public works, health, energy and utilities, and municipal and school relations.

As a supplement to the future road program, the council also introduced an ordinance that, if approved, would bond almost $2 million for road improvements.

The council voted 4-1 to introduce the ordinancewithCouncilmanAndrewMayer voting against the measure.

Pfeffer said that the ordinance is an exact replica of the one that the borough voted down in April, with just Councilmen Gary Baldwin and Scott Larkin supporting it.

The bond would be for slightly over $1.8 million, with more than $300,000 of the $2.1 million project to be funded by other sources.

The 17 roads that were scheduled to have work done are Hochockson Road, Riveredge Road, Heritage Drive, Mulberry Lane, Laurel Court, Meadow Drive, Stratford Avenue, Devon Court, Catebury Lane, Winchester Drive, Rutgers Drive, Water Street, Old Farm Road, Old Mill Road, Marland Lane, Colonial Drive and Squankum Road.

Much of the debate about allocating funding for the road program has revolved around whether funding should be placed in the budget on a yearly basis or whether road work should be funded by bond, which is what the ordinance calls for.

Pfeffer also said that whether or not the council approves the ordinance would have no impact on the money taken from the budget for the road project.

The next Borough Council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 21.

Contact Kenny Walter at

kwalter@gmnews.com