S.B. adopts $49.5M budget
GOP in town claims too much surplus being used
BY CHRIS MURINO Staff Writer
T he South Brunswick Township Council unanimously approved the $49.5 millionmunicipal budget at its meeting on June 24.

The tax rate will be 62.5 cents per $100 assessed value, as it was last year. Overall spending did increase from last year's budget of roughly $48 million. This is being offset by an increase in surplus spending. The township is using $9 million of an available $9.8 million.

The budget will also allow municipal taxes to remain at their same rate.

John O'Sullivan, a Republican candidate for Township Council in the upcoming November election, expressed dissatisfaction over the council using this amount of the surplus in the budget.

"There is one good thing that can be said about the 2008 South Brunswick budget - it doesn't require a tax increase," O'Sullivan said. "Unfortunately, it deals with the financial challenges with a Band-Aid instead of a trip to the emergency room."

O'Sullivan contended that the council was doing this because it was an election year.

"It is not surprising that in an election year, the governing body has chosen to spend reserves rather than propose a budget that will allow us to live within our means," O'Sullivan said. "But may I ask, 'What happens next year, when there is no local election?' All those expenses will still be there, but the surplus will be gone. What happens then? Do we get hit with a double-digit tax increase?"

The council countered O'Sullivan.

"The surplus is immediately refurbished," said Mayor Frank Gambatese. "That's why we bring in new businesses. Every year I've heard, 'You're using too much surplus.' The surplus is the people's money. It belongs to the people and it should go back to the people. We're giving it back to the people so they don't have to worry about their taxes for this year."

"Like many things in life, it's a series of choices," added Councilman Charles Carley. "The surplus is a renewable line item in the budget."

Former Republican township Mayor Roger Craig also made note that it seemed as if the council would keep taxes the same during election years and raise them during other years.

Councilman Joseph Camarota said that does not play into it at all.

One reason the township had to use so much of the surplus was the increase of $800,000 in pension expenditures. The township also received $416,000 less in state aid.

Local taxes make up about 16 percent of the budget, and the average resident will be responsible for paying about $1,200.