Avon Commissioners Hope To Raise Funds from Tower Lease
By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
Avon commissioners fielded questions from residents regarding the 2006 municipal budget at Monday’s meeting.
Financial Chairman Robert Mahon reported that residents with a home assessed at the average $350,000 will pay an additional $171 this year with the 4.9 cent tax rate increase.
Mahon said he and borough auditor Robert Hulsart, along with finance officer John Antonides worked very hard to keep the tax increase as low as possible while “providing the services the community deserves.”
Commissioner Mahon attributed much of the increase to a 15 percent rise in health benefits, an increase in pension costs, increases in debt service and the fact that state aid figures have remained flat in recent years.
“We are going to take a very hard look at the kinds of things we have been doing,” said Mahon, “revenue sources are drying up.”
Other expenditures in this year’s budget include $275,000 for repairs to the Fifth Avenue bulkhead, $90,000 in road repair and $55,000 for a joint purchase with Bradley Beach and Belmar for a JetVac sewer cleaning machine.
Answering resident Marie Kenny’s inquiry about the fact that $160,000 in deferred school tax was added to the budget to reduce the tax impact, Hulsart said the move is feasible because the borough operates on the calendar year, while the school budget operates on the fiscal year.
This gives the borough a six month window in which to pay the school tax, which they collect from residents.
It is a common accounting procedure and this year helped reduce the tax rate from 16 cents per $100 of assessed value to 4.9 cents.
Hulsart said that over time the borough should build the balance of surplus back up and eventually put the money back into the deferred tax fund.
Commissioners said they are hoping to generate additional funds for next year’s budget from renting space to cellular telephone companies on a new tower being built in the north end of town and from the sale of the property where the current pump station, which is being replaced, is now located.
Mahon reminded the audience that the new pump station will cost about $1.5 million and will be built on borough land, while the current piece of property has been appraised at $2.5 million.
Responding to another resident Mahon said there were no plans to do extensive work on the borough’s pool this year.
Mayor Dan Gibney, however, said the fence around the pool will be fixed this season because it is a safety hazard.
The mayor also reported that the borough is waiting for approval from the county to make intersections along Third Avenue four-way stops.
“People have expressed concerns about speeders in town,” said Gibney.
Also during the meeting Gibney swore in four new Class 1 police officers for the upcoming summer season.
“They will be wearing the white tee shirts that say Police,” said the mayor. “They will be patrolling and doing traffic duties.”
In other business, the mayor read a proclamation declaring May 4 as a National Day of Prayer in the borough. Ceremonies will be held at Municipal Hall at noon that day to commemorate the event.
The National Day of Prayer was instituted during the Reagan presidency and is observed by many New Jersey Communities.
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