By PETE WALTON
The Neptune City Borough Council has introduced a 2024 budget with a 7.4 percent increase in the amount to be collected through property taxes for municipal purposes.
The proposal would increase the amount to be collected from $6,028,497 in 2023 to $6,475,403 in 2024.
The budget can be viewed online at neptunecitynj.com, and will also be published in the April 4 edition of The Coaster.
A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for Mon., April 22 when the council meets at 6 p.m.
“All in all, we’ve done a decent job keeping costs low with municipal taxes these past few years, even with inflation being so high and the cost of just about everything increasing,” said Councilman Brian J. Thomas, who is also chief of staff for New Jersey’s 13th Legislative District and the former executive director of Citizens for Accountable Taxation.
Thomas said he and council members Glen Kocsis, Danielle Pappas, Chief Financial Officer William Antonides and Borough Administrator Al Jardine worked to minimize expenses.
“It hasn’t been easy and we unfortunately still have an uptick which absolutely no one likes,” the councilman said. “But compared to what it could’ve been, I believe the budget is sound and without loss of any services we provide for residents.”
“Neptune City is one of the few towns in New Jersey that is fiscally responsible, but because the state can’t float its own spending sprees, we have to suffer and pay their bills,” Thomas said. “Maybe they should come to Borough Hall one day and we can help teach them a little Economics 101.”
When it met earlier this week, the council introduced an ordinance which would allow the borough to transfer title for property at 87 Rosewood Place to Genesis
Redevelopment LLC. Genesis is the designated redeveloper of the East Coast Ice Redevelopment Area, which also includes land at 96 Laird Ave.
Jason Sena, special redevelopment counsel for the borough, explained that state law requires passage of an ordinance in order to transfer the property. The transaction was provided for in the existing redevelopment agreement between Genesis and Neptune City.
The vote to introduce the ordinance was 5 to 1, with council member Pamela Renee dissenting.
Renee indicated during the meeting that she had legal questions about the redevelopment and suggested that the council go into executive session to discuss them.
Mayor Rachel McGreevy told Renee she did not favor going into closed session prior to the vote on the ordinance, which will be the subject of a public hearing at the council’s April 8 meeting.
Also by a 5-1 vote, with Renee voting no, the council approved a resolution authorizing the mayor to make certain changes in the redevelopment agreement. Those adjustments have already been approved by both sides.
Shortly after taking office in January, McGreevy promised that there would be a presentation by Genesis about the company’s plans. That presentation, including questions from residents, took place at this week’s meeting and lasted more than an hour.
Some of the concerns expressed by neighbors included chronic flooding in the area and the possible impact on traffic and parking.
McGreevy reminded the public that the plans put forward by Genesis must be approved by the borough Land Use Board before work on the project can begin.
When the council named Genesis as the redeveloper of the East Coast Ice site in 2022, plans called for building seven townhouse units with parking at the Laird Avenue property. Genesis would also “develop an allowable commercial use” on Rosewood Place, according to the resolution approved by the council.
The company indicated that it was considering a storage facility as the commercial component.
Genesis would also rehabilitate the long neglected Laird Avenue Park.
In two unanimous votes, the council gave final approval to an ordinance regulating the use of motorized bicycles, and another required by the state dealing with stormwater requirements and controls.
The mayor announced that a benefit event for the Sarah Stern Arts Scholarship would take place Saturday (March 30) at the United Fire Co. No. 1 banquet hall from 2 to 5 p.m.
Artists are invited to display or sell their work at the event. A presentation by author and professional storyteller Carol Simon Levin will detail lesser known contributions by women to society. Girl Scout cookies will also be on sale.
Councilman Scott Dellett said a cops versus kids basketball game will take place in the Woodrow Wilson Elementary School gymnasium on April 11. A $2 entry fee will benefit the seventh- and eighth-grade trip to the nation’s capital.
