Neptune Tax Rate to Increase 4.7 Cents
By ANDREW CANGIANO
Neptune residents will see an increase of 4.7 cents per $100 of assessed valuation on the municipal tax rate under the budget proposed by the Township Committee.
Residents who own a house valued at $230,000 will pay about $107 more in property taxes under the proposed spending plan.
The 2006 budget will be approximately $33.8 million, about $1.9 million more than last year.
The public hearing on the budget is scheduled for April 24.
Mayor Thomas Catley said the budget reflects cuts of more than $1.2 million since the draft copy was presented to the committee.
He also reported that the average homeowner in the township will pay about $3,900 in taxes, which is about $2,000 less than the average homeowner in Monmouth County and New Jersey.
We have plenty of staff here, we have plenty of planners and so forth on board, that we dont have too much on our table; in fact we should have more on our table, because the taxpayers in Neptune Township demand some relief. So Im not going to apologize one bit for having a lot on our agenda and a lot on our plate. Its our job and were doing it right. – Neptune Mayor Thomas Catley
The administration and this Township Committee have spent countless hours and extra meetings reviewing this budget and working on ways to stabilize taxes in 2006 and in the years to follow, Catley said in a prepared statement.
These cost-cutting measures and improved revenue programs will continue to be evaluated by this governing body and will be rolled out to the public when we have determined the best course of action for our taxpayers, he said.
Catley said that half of the tax increase could be attributed to a handful of items that are beyond the control of the township.
Among these were a statewide increase in the cost of police pensions which cost the township an extra $343,225 and an increase in public employee pensions of about $100,000.
The county also passed along an increase in landfill fees which ranged from four to six percent, the mayor said.
In addition to these items, we are also faced with the same issues that are impacting you at home, the soaring cost of gasoline and natural gas and the desire to aggressively repay debt, Catley said.
To cope with these increases, we took a long hard look at the services we provide and made hard decisions concerning our staffing levels and methods of service delivery, he said. We have laid plans for future efficiency improvements and will continue to work to maintain stability in our municipal tax rate.
The committees initial vote on the budget passed by a 3-2 margin, with committeemen James Manning Jr. and Randy Bishop dissenting.
Bishop expressed concerns over the townships priorities in regards to spending.
Tonight alone, weve allocated over $55,000 for planning on two projects and Im sure theyre not going to be the last cost on these projects, Bishop said.
He also criticized the committees hiring of a publicists services for $42,000, which would be the cost of a new police officer.
Bishop said he was concerned about other projects the township has considered undertaking, including improvements to the Route 33 and Route 35 corridors.
Investing in the future is excellent and we have to do that, he said. But you dont invest all at once.
Bishop said he believes future budgets may be just as difficult for the township and expressed concern that state aid will be frozen or cut even further.
While we look at prudent investment, I fear I cant support a budget that I feel looks more at wishes than reality, so Im going to vote no, he said.
Manning, who also voted no, said he believes the township should focus its efforts on redeveloping West Lake Avenue before it focuses on other projects.
Read more about your town by picking up The Coaster at your local newsstand or subscribe today.
Published every Thursday.
Pages: 1 2
