By PETE WALTON
Neptune City and Farmingdale have entered into an agreement to share the services of a municipal clerk.
Corrine DiCorcia Williams, who has been the clerk in Farmingdale since 2016, will perform those duties for Neptune City as well.
Tammy Brown, the longtime Neptune City borough clerk, is now clerk of the Monmouth County Board of Commissioners.
The Neptune City Borough Council approved the agreement unanimously when it met earlier this week. The appointment took effect immediately.
Farmingdale’s Borough Council voted to enter the agreement at its May 17 meeting.
Deputy Municipal Clerk Nyasha Johnson performed the clerk’s duties at the Neptune City meeting this week.
Borough Administrator Al Jardine will consult with the municipal attorney’s office to finalize the terms and conditions of the shared services agreement with Farmingdale.
A public hearing on the 2022 Neptune City budget will take place at a special meeting on June 6.
The average property tax bill in Neptune City is expected to go up by $100 a year for municipal purposes if the budget is approved. Mayor Andrew Wardell said the borough was faced with increased costs for pensions, insurance and fuel.
Councilwoman Pamela Renee thanked Jardine and Chief Financial Officer William Antonides for discussing concerns about the budget that she and Councilman Glen Kocsis had raised.
When the budget was revealed in April, the two Democrats voted against introducing it, while the four Republicans on the council voted in favor.
Renee said she was hopeful that with increased revenue, taxes could go down next year, a statement that met with agreement from Wardell.
The mayor said he expected the 2 percent tax which the borough can charge on marijuana sales will provide an additional revenue source for the town.
Neptune City is one of the local communities which plans to offer a limited number of licenses for the sale of cannabis, though there is no word yet on when that could begin.
The council approved a resolution asking the state Department of Transportation to investigate potential upgrades to the crosswalk at Route 35 and Ridge Avenue. Wardell thanked Kocsis for his work on getting the state involved.
If improvements are needed, the resolution calls for the borough to contribute 25 percent of the cost.
The council approved a resolution designating June as LGBTQ Pride Month. A flag raising ceremony will take place at the Neptune City Community Center on June 1 at 6 p.m.
