Final hearing on town budget set for June 23

The tax levy to support Manalapan’s municipal budget will remain the same in 2010 as it was in 2009.

Manalapan Township Committee members introduced a budget in late April and said that revisions to the spending plan would likely be forthcoming prior to its adoption.

Those changes were in fact made.

A revised budget was presented to the public during the June 9 meeting of the governing body.

The total municipal budget for 2010 has been trimmed from the initially proposed $32.7 million to $31.8 million.

The final 2009 municipal budget totaled $32.2 million.

The 2010 municipal tax levy (the amount collected in taxes from property owners to support the operation of the township) has been reduced from the initially proposed $20.2 million to $18.8 million, according to information provided by the township.

The projected $18.8 million tax levy for 2010 is the same amount that was collected in taxes to support the 2009 budget.

Other revenues to support the 2010 budget will come from state aid ($3.9 million; down $1 million from 2009) and from Manalapan’s surplus (savings) account ($5.2 million; up $1 million from 2009).

The municipal tax rate for 2010 will be 33.2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, according to the committee.

With a municipal tax rate of 33.2 cents in place, the owner of a home that is assessed at $100,000 will pay $332 in municipal taxes in 2010. The owner of a home assessed at the township average of $376,000 will pay $1,248 in municipal taxes in 2010.

The owner of a home assessed at $500,000 will pay $1,660 in municipal taxes in 2010. The owner of a home assessed at $700,000 will pay $2,324 in municipal taxes in 2010.

Municipal property taxes pay for all operations in town hall, including the police department, township administration, the planning and zoning offices, parks and recreation, public works and municipal professionals such as attorneys, engineers and planners.

In addition to municipal taxes, a Manalapan resident’s property tax bill also includes taxes paid to the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District, to the Freehold Regional High School District, to Monmouth County, to the local fire district and several other assessments.

According to the committee, Manalapan’s total tax rate (all taxing entities accounted for) in 2010 will be $2.03 per $100 of assessed valuation.

With a total tax rate of $2.03 in place, the owner of a home that is assessed at $100,000 will pay $2,030 in property taxes in 2010. The owner of a home assessed at the township average of $376,000 will pay $7,632 in property taxes in 2010.

The owner of a home assessed at $500,000 will pay $10,150 in property taxes in 2010. The owner of a home assessed at $700,000 will pay $14,210 in property taxes in 2010.

Mayor Andrew Lucas said officials asked for and were granted concessions from all township employees as the budget was being developed. As detailed by Lucas, the concessions include:

• Police employees represented by the PBA and Superior Officers Association – $1.75 million in concessions over the next 18 months, including the elimination of overtime; attrition of seven officers; and division commanders forgoing their takehome vehicles.

• Employees represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – Nine unpaid furlough days, including all Fridays in July and August; 1.5 percent of salary to be paid toward healthcare; and a pay freeze for the year 2011.

• Non-union employees – 1.5 percent of salary to be paid toward healthcare; pay freeze for the entire year 2010; and the elimination of one position.

• Employees represented by the CommunicationsWorkers of America – 1.5 percent of salary to be paid toward healthcare.

“The Township Committee worked very hard to present a responsible budget that keeps the municipal tax levy flat and decreases liabilities like our school tax deferral. This could not have occurred without the commitment of our employees to concessions that saved the taxpayer millions of dollars. We will continue the difficult work of making government more efficient while cutting wasteful spending so we will be in the position to keep our budget flat for future years as well,” Lucas said.

The committee passed a resolution setting June 23 as the date for a public hearing on the budget amendments that were introduced on June 9. The committee changed the time of the June 23 meeting from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The committee may vote to adopt the budget on June 23.

The vote on the resolution to set the date of the public hearing on the budget amendments was 4-1, with Lucas, Deputy Mayor Susan Cohen, Committeeman Don Holland and Committeeman Ryan Green voting yes on the resolution.

Committeewoman Michelle Roth voted no on the resolution. Asked why she voted no, Roth said, “I am not happy with the amendments to the budget. There are far too many smoke and mirrors in the budget that is now under consideration.”

She added, “The number presented by the mayor as savings in the police department is wholly inaccurate and is inflated by 50 percent. The savings is only $922,000, not $1.75 million, and is primarily driven by retirements that would have happened anyway.”

Roth said this aspect of the budget may be a topic of discussion at the June 23 meeting.

In response to Roth’s comment about the police department numbers, Lucas said, “Mrs. Roth and I have calculated the (police) savings differently, but the bulk of the savings is indeed from retirements or resignations — $167,754 in 2009 and $799,914 in 2010.”

The other savings in the police department, according to Lucas, are: in 2009, overtime savings of $110,000; taking away take home cars for division commanders, savings of $20,000; use of law enforcement trust funds, $136,280; in 2010, overtime savings, $175,000; 1.5 percent health benefits payment, savings of $46,777; reducing division commanders fleet by one vehicle and not ordering new division commander cars, savings of $80,000; use of law enforcement trust funds, $202,500, for a total of $1,738,226 (rounded to $1.75 million for presentation purposes).