Clancy, Finn, Mattessich Win; WF $78.2 Mil. School Tax Passes CHRISTINA M
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Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, April 23, 2009 OUR 119th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 17-2009 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SIXTY CENTS Clancy, Finn, Mattessich Win; WF $78.2 Mil. School Tax Passes CHRISTINA M. HINKE of Education election on Tuesday. “I always say how privileged it is to Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Ms. Clancy had 2,525 votes; Mr. live in a town like Westfield, and I WESTFIELD – Incumbent Jane Mattessich received 2,505 votes, and think this vote today shows how edu- Clancy, David Finn and Richard Mr. Finn took 2,170 votes. Michael cated our electorate really is,” he said. Mattessich won the three open three- McLane and Kathy Monteiro lost, Polls were open from 7 a.m. to 9 year-term seats in the Westfield Board receiving 1,593 and 2,003 votes, re- p.m. Robert Berman, board business spectively. administrator, said the turnout of vot- “Thank you, voters of Westfield, for ers was one of the highest, saying the believing in what I stand for, and I can’t year 2006 was the highest he could wait to get to work for the children of recall with about 5,000 people cast- Westfield schools,” Mr. Finn said. ing a ballot on the budget or about 24 “I am truly looking forward to con- percent of the town’s nearly 20,000 tinuing my work that I have started. I registered voters. value the education in Westfield im- mensely. It’s very exciting. I am very Mountainside Passes passionate about education,” Ms. Clancy said. School Budget “Thank you to all of my support- By RAYNOR DENITZIO Richard Mattessich (WF) ers, my family, my friends, the people Specially Written for The Westfield Leader I met along the way. I will work my MOUNTAINSIDE – Residents hardest over the next three years to approved a $12.6 million tax levy by meet every one of the commitments I a vote of 347 to 256. As a result, made and to fill the gap left behind by homeowners will see their taxes rise the board members. There is a lot of by an average of $147 per every Horace Corbin for The Westfield Leader work to do, and we are ready to do it,” $165,000 in assessed property value. RITE OF SPRING...Several hundreds marched as the Westfield Baseball League (WBL) kicked off the season with its Mr. Mattessich said. The total budget for the 2009-2010 annual parade last Saturday. Baseball players, parents, siblings, pets and coaches marched from Mindowaskin Park to Voters also passed, 3,020 to 1,791, school year is $14.1 million. South Chestnut Street, where a carnival awaited them at Gumbert Park. They were accompanied by Mayor Andy Skibitsky, the $78.2-million tax levy, which rep- Mary Beth Schaumberg and Jorge WBL officials and mascots who cruised down the parade route in convertibles decorated for the occasion. resents an average increase of $234 Batista, unopposed, were elected to for a home assessed at $180,000, three-year terms on the Mountainside supporting the $89.5-million 2009- Board of Education. Ms. Schaumberg, Jane Clancy (WF) 2010 school district budget. The tax an incumbent, received 396 votes, Westfield Town Council Introduces increase represents a 3.17 percent while Mr. Batista garnered 380 votes. increase over the last school year. Neither candidate faced a challenger Board President Ginny Leiz gave a for the two open seats on the seven- round of thanks to the board mem- member board. $40 Million Budget After 7-2 Vote bers and to the staff that helped work Only 611 of the 4,817 registered By MICHAEL J. POLLACK as “punishing” towns like Westfield, lion in 2008 to $3.79 million in 2010. on the budget. voters cast a ballot in Tuesday’s elec- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader who he said have been fiscally pru- “We are all living the same eco- Mayor Andy Skibitsky, who ar- tion, a turnout of 12.4 percent. WESTFIELD – The Westfield dent and now must spend through nomic nightmare,” Mr. Caruana said. rived with other council members at Town Council voted 7-2 Tuesday to their savings. “We did not want to ask for one penny the celebration party at board mem- Garwood Voters Defeat introduce its $39.65 million budget. “We are now spending our rainy- more than we must…I feel we have ber Ann Cary’s home, also said a few Now begins a 45-day comment pe- day fund. Time to get your umbrella,” accomplished our mission.” words and thanked the board mem- School Budget riod, which will culminate in a vote to Mr. Caruana said. Despite the budget’s inclusion of a bers for their work on the budget, By RAYNOR DENITZIO adopt the budget in early June. If estimates are correct, the town’s 3.5 percent reduction in town person- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader David Finn (WF) saying he was “impressed.” The budget marks a $1.77 million surplus will plummet from $7.7 mil- CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 GARWOOD – Residents rejected (4.69 percent) increase in expenses a $6.3 million local tax levy by a from last year. After factoring in in- Freeholders OK $443 Mil. margin of 197 to 132. The levy would creases in taxable ratables, through RVSA, DEP Reach Accord; have resulted in an average tax in- new construction and property im- crease of $107, or 2.9 percent, for a provements, the average Westfield Budget, Taxes Up 5.3 Percent home assessed at $103,000. The bud- home assessed at $184,600 will incur Power Problems Reviewed By PAUL J. PEYTON and the freeholders continue to ex- get must now go before the borough a net 5.5 percent increase in its mu- By WAYNE BAKER to 6.3 years, which Mr. Davis did. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader press concern for helping those who council for review and revision. nicipal taxes, amounting to a $127 Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Discussion about the missing ELIZABETH — The Union need it the most.” With three candidates running for hike from 2008. RAHWAY — Reporting last Thurs- switchgear revealed it had been re- County Board of Chosen Freeholders During the public comment sec- four vacant seats, incumbents Adele Nearly 60 percent of the budget day to the board of the Rahway Valley moved from the design during value adopted a $442.6-million budget last tion of the budget hearing, John Bury Lewis, Barbara Greet and Russell will be funded through a property tax Sewerage Authority (RVSA), a con- engineering, an effort used to lower Thursday that will increase taxes of Kenilworth questioned a line item Graham were re-elected to three-year levy of $23.4 million. State aid ($4 sultant noted the lack of redundancy construction cost. The diesel engines $13.4 million countywide, a 5.32 per- in the budget for unemployment com- terms on the Board of Education. Ms. million) makes up another 10 percent in electrical switchgear at the RVSA’s needed for emergency back-up power cent hike over last year. pensation. He said this number was Lewis was the top vote-getter with of the budget. Finance Policy Com- waste treatment facility. The author- also were removed during value en- County taxes in Westfield will jump $168,300 for the previous five years 236, followed by Ms. Greet with 223 mittee Chairman Sal Caruana said ity also recently reached an agree- gineering. $1.2 million to $26.3 million, the but jumped to $2.5 million in the and Mr. Graham with 218. the town experienced a “significant” ment with the New Jersey Depart- Mr. Chin noted he wanted the expert second highest tax in Union County 2009 budget. No write-in candidate received decline in state aid, which plummeted ment of Environmental Protection review as Caterpillar, who would likely behind Elizabeth’s $31.2 million. “What is the other two million, enough votes to fill the one-year un- $316,000 this year. (NJDEP) to maintain an overflow pro- benefit from the addition of diesel Scotch Plains will see a $319,926 three hundred thousand this year?” expired term created by the resigna- Another 12 percent of the overall tecting the plant in case of extraordi- back-up engines, was not providing hike to $14.5 million; Fanwood, a Mr. Bury questioned. tion of Lisa Marano last fall. Board budget will be funded through $4.8 nary flow volume. The board also answers of their potential benefit. $283,734 jump to $4.2 million, while CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 officials had said earlier that they million in surplus, which Mr. Caruana heard a second presentation from its Paul Sefranka, Rahway’s represen- Mountainside taxpayers will pay would advertise for the vacancy if no said is declining “at a rapid pace.” Mr. bond consultants about delaying some tative, asked Mr. Davis, “If you were $216,546 more this year for a total of Transformer Failures viable write-in candidate emerged. Caruana criticized state government debt service via new bonds to assist on our side of the table, what would $6.7 million. member municipalities in this eco- you do?” Mr. Davis said that he would Summit taxpayers, who pay the Occur Twice in Town nomic downturn. purchase both the diesel generators fourth highest county tax at $25.3 WESTFIELD – Power was out in Clark Township Council Charles Davis, an engineer with and the switchgear.