Politics & Government

Municipal Tax Hike Expected in 2013

First budget workshop set for Thursday, March 21 at 7p.m.

Lacey residents can expect to see a municipal tax increase within the confines of the state-mandated cap, Mayor David Most said after the township’s first budget meeting of the year Thursday.

Budget numbers were not available at the meeting as the township is just in the beginning stages of preparing its 2013-14 budget.

Chief Financial Officer Adrian Fanning provided the Committee members with budget booklets. He has received 95 percent of the department’s requests and is waiting on further information from the Department of Public Works.

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Most could not say what the township’s exact shortfall is but said an increase in cost for medial insurance, the expenses incurred due to Hurricane Sandy and tax appeals will have the greatest impact on this year’s budget process.

Tax appeals will cost the township $481,000 this year, Fanning said.

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“That means there’s $481,000 that we don’t have in our surplus account that will have to be made up in some fashion,” he said.

At the end of 2012, surplus was at $2.9 million, comparable to previous years, Fanning said.

State aid has also remained flat, Most said. In 2012, the township received $11,273,840 towards the budget.

The township is facing a 16 percent increase in health benefit costs, Fanning said.

Lacey left the state health benefits program two years ago. Had they remained in the program, the cost would have increased by 21.5 percent or $180,000.

“We’ve been working on this for years as far as cutting budgets,” Most said.

Aside from the police department, Department of Public Works and emergency services, figures from the other departments remain flat, Most said. Increases have been offset by attrition.

“We tried cutting those down last year,” Committeeman Sean Sharkey said.

In the past, each department has presented its figures and requests but because most remain flat, the Committee is only asking for the emergency services and police and public works departments to attend its workshop meetings.

Most did not provide insight into proposed requests and capital projects. He also would not say whether the budget will account for the possibility of a Public Safety Director, since a decision has yet to be made regarding which direction the Committee will choose to replace retired Chief of Police William Nally.

The township Committee will hold its first budget workshop Thursday, March 21 at 7p.m. in which the police department and emergency services will present their figures and capital requests.


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