Holmdel Proposal to Be Ready Before Referendum

Marlboro taxes to drop 7 7 cents MARLBORO County, local, and regional school taxes The amount collected from local taxes last granted in a two-year contract for the police The municipal portion of the township tax must be added to the municipal rate to year was $1,143,095. and the proposed local force, and the salaries of three additional policem en. rate will drop 11 cents per $100 assessed determine the township’s overall tax rate, taxation figure is $1,020,876. valuation this year. which has not yet been compiled. The township will use approximately $350, The budget also reflects costs of the antici 000 in surplus funds from last year in the pated move of township offices from the A surplus from 1978, anticipation of in The Township Council Thursday intro proposed budget. The amount paid by the Central Mall, Roule79, to the township’s new creased revenues from franchise and gross duced a $3.2 million municipal budget, up state in lieu of local property taxes will municipal building. receipts taxes, and an increase in the amount approximately $400,000 from last year. increase $65,000, Goldzweig said. "As you know,” Goldzweig said in his paid by the state in lieu of property taxes Increases in franchise and gross receipt message, “many growing municipalities are But the amount to be raised by local taxes account for the lower local taxation figure, taxes are also anticipated. faced with budgets in excess of the per- will drop more than $120,000, causing the tax Mayor Arthur Goldzweig said in his budget The municipal tax rate will drop from 73 misable budget cap. Good financial prac rate to decline. message. cents per $100 assessed valuation to 62 cents, tices and investment programs have enabled A public hearing on the proposed budget The proposed budget totals $3,243,222, up Goldzweig said. Marlboro to produce a budget which is within will be held March 8 at the Municipal Of from $2,850,993 last year, a $392,229 increase. Included in the budget are salary increases the budget cap." fices. THE *P,*7?n Jo^nt 165 Mamiu ? St.l i b r a r y Matawan, n . j . 0 7 7 4 7 The W eekly Newspaper 2 0 C e n t s Wednesday, Feb. 1 4 , 1 9 7 9 Vol. 9 No. 15 Com m ittee seeks approval Snow sculpture Joseph Kisenwether, a second-grade student at the Strathmore Elementary School, Aberdeen, puts the finishing touches on his “snow sculpture.” Last Friday, second- grade students took advantage of the winter’s first m ajor snowfall with an exercise in snow sculpture. (Photo by Dave McGrath) of budget cap referendum ^ • — ^ By Lee Duigon over the cap next year if the referendum HAZLET passes this year.” Keyport's budget faces The Township Committee this week will Although the township hopes to regenerate m ail a letter to all homeowners asking them any surplus used to stabilize the tax rate this to approve a referendum that will let the year, he explained, “We’ll have to apply possible referendum township exceed its state-mandated cap on surplus again next year if the referendum spending increases by approximately $235. fa ils .” 000. According to township officials, the budget By Judy McGee Including the $235,000, the budget totals is forced to exceed its cap because of an KEYPORT F riday deadline set nearly $3.5 million. increase of approximately $200,000 in insur If the Borough Council cannot cut the The referendum will be held from 7 a.m. to ance premiums and $94,466 in police salaries tentative 1979 municipal budget by $130,000, in K e yp o rt election 8 p.m. Wednesday and will cost the township and wages. it may be forced to call a referendum seeking approximately $6,000. according to Business The Township Committee has budgeted voters’ permission to exceed the 5 percent Administrator Robert Weigand. KEYPORT $697,210 for police salaries and wages (up limit on spending increases, Mayor Richard Democratic party members who wish to Mayor William Haines said he believes the from $584,744), Weigand said, but that figure Bergen said Monday night. run for election to the vacant Borough voters will approve the referendum. is “not firm ” because the committee and the Stating that the council would meet Council seat must file petitions with the If the committee exceeds its cap, he Patrolmen's Benevolent Assn. are still ne Saturday to consider m ajor reductions in the borough clerk by 4 p.m. Friday. pointed out, the additional $235,000 will be g o tia tin g a contract for 1979. budget Bergen said the tentative appro The seat was vacated by Richard Ber covered by existing surplus'an'f the murici- V , We had fp pu*. *meth>ng in the budgpt,” priatio n is $186,000 higher than the 1978 to'.al. gen, who resigned when he becam e m ayor. p al ta x ra te w ill re m a in at 53 cents per $100 r,f tie sa>d. “ The final fig u re could be m o re ttian The amount is equivalent to a 16 percent in The unexpired term will end Dec. 31. assessed valuation. $697,210 or it could be less." crease. The special election will be held March If the referendum fails, he said, the Former Mayor Joseph Morales last week State law limits municipalities to a 5 6. township will have to cut services. questioned the budget and yesterday said his percent annual increase in spending. To Petitions may be obtained from the “I’m sure no one wants a cut in service,” questions still have not been answered. remain within the cap, the borough would horough clerk a t 18-20 M ain St. Haines said. “The only place we can cut is “I’m not really critical of the budget,” have to lim it the spending increase to $56,000. salaries...and we need more police officers, Morales said. “Hopefully, they’ll come up Bergen told borough department heads to for example, instead of laying them off.” with some answers.” JOSEPH MORALES WILLIAM HAINES “ go over your budgets w’ith an eye to making Councilman Harry Aumack noted that the If the referendum fails, Weigand said, the Morales said his future criticism of the ance experts whose advice we follow. I feel serious cuts, or the council will have to cut budget rise is due mainly to substantial township will be unable to pay outstanding budget would depend on the result of the However, he added, bis calculations of those budgets for you. increases in the borough’s garbage collection workmen’s compensation premiums and will referendum. I don’t think anybody knows,” Morales said. police salary increases are "at best a wild Every department will decrease its spend contract and in police and public works probably be sued by the insurance compa “If the referendum succeeds,” he ex “They have indicated that they’ve obtained guess.” ing plan, said Bergen. departments’ salaries. ny, resulting in increased legal fees. plained, “they can go $235,000 over the cap, no additional coverage, but I’m not quite Morales said he realized the committee If the council determines Saturday that it The salary raises, he explained, were re “Or else we’ll have to lay off people and but that doesn’t mean they have to go the full certain that’s true.” was still negotiating a police contract and cannot cut the budget enough to comply with troactive to Jan. l, 1978. This year’s budget close buildings,” he added. 5235,000. They can still make cuts.” The committee, he went on, appears'to was unable to provide a firm figure for 1979 the state’s cap, it will call for a referendum will therefore include the 6V2 percent pay If the referendum succeeds, he continued, Whether he supports the referendum, he have budgeted too much for police salary in salaries. to consider boosting the budget by more than hikes for 1979 and also salary raises of 6V2 the additional $235,000 will be used to said, depends on whether the committee can creases. Haines termed Morales’ comments about 5 percent. Local taxes would have to be percent for 1978. broaden the base for the computation of the 5 answer “certain questions” on insurance “ I know there are three positions that will the insurance “strictly political.” increased to support such a budget increase. percent cap next year. and police salaries. no longer be funded by the federal govern “We know what insurance coverage we “That’s one of the first things we consid “I don’t think the committee knows exact ment,” he said, “but that doesn’t account for have,” the mayor said. "We go by the insur- $3.2 million budget ered,” Weigand said. “We feel we will not be ly what insurance coverage they’re getting— the total increase.” ( Continued on Page 20) introduced in Holmdel Proposal to be ready before referendum By Dave McGrath increase, however, will be offset by a $15.3 HOLMDEL million increase in assessments, township The Township Committee last night intro officials said. GOP to offer alternative budget duced a $3.2 m illio n proposed 1979 budget The added ratables, Mayor James Cox By Lee Duigon The additional $235,000, according to town “If this office fails,” he added, “the which will leave the municipal portion of the said, are the result of new residential HAZLET ship officials, will be taken from surplus and township is in trouble.” local property tax essentially the same.

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