6-point increase in N.B. municipal-tax levy possible
Mayor suggests five-year plan to review services, cut spending
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer
Mayor Francis "Mac" Womack has introduced the North Brunswick preliminary municipal-tax levy as an anticipated 6-point increase for the fiscal year 2009.

The owner of a home with an assessed value of $157,000, which is the township's average, will pay about $93 more in property taxes per year.

Womack said the increase is due to a 2- to 3-percent increase in township employee salaries; a loss of funding from the state, which equals about 2 points; a couple of points because of the newly mandated collection of solid waste from apartment complexes, as required by the state; a loss of income from investment revenues of about 1 to 1.5 points; and the responsibility of the township to contribute 100 percent to pension funds.

To try to combat these increases, Womack said he asked each department director to show a 5-percent reduction in the cost of running their departments, without affecting services. If not, he said the tax rate could have been an 8- or 9-point increase.

Womack said the rejection of a 3-point school budget increase was a "big part of the message that I received this year. I think people are tired of taxes continuing to rise."

"The message is clear … that we have to try and get more efficient and make the township as affordable as possible for the people who live here. It's neither an easy nor painless process," the mayor said.

So, instead, Womack said this will be the first year of a five-year plan to reduce spending in the township.

"The long-term benefit is that we are going to be able to - we need to - try and bring the costs of running this township to a lower base level, so that taxes going into the future are going to be at sustainable levels, and not where here in North Brunswick, and all across the state of New Jersey, the continuing increases make it hard to live here," he said. "We all want to pay less taxes, so let's find out, in order to pay less taxes, what it is we can change or do without that will allow us to make the cost of running North Brunswick lower."

To achieve this goal, Womack said the township will assess all if its services and see which ones are essential vs. which can be reduced, which can be done a different way to be more efficient, and which of the optional services must be kept.

Namely, services such as Parks & Recreation, the library and the senior center are "optional," although Womack said the township "certainly will continue" them, although with possible limited or combined services. Also, the Department of Public Works may be able to combine vehicle maintenance and purchases with the county.

On the other hand, public safety, the court system, the finance office and building and community development inspectors are part of the mandatory requirements of a town.

Womack also said he would like to see which services can be incorporated through the county or state, as well as through interlocal agreements with either the Board of Education or neighboring towns.

In addition, he will look into volunteer and community service organizations to see if they can participate.

He also said alternate funding sources are critical.

"Paying taxes that are too high is something that takes away from quality of life. I want to make sure the things that make this town a good place to live in stay the same, and that we continue to make improvements in the areas we need to improve, and that the places we like to take our kids to, like the parks, that we are able to continue to pay for those," Womack said, while taking very seriously the statement he has heard over and over again that people "can't afford to live in New Jersey."

Although no impacts will be seen this year, Womack said there will need to be fewer employees in town over the next few years, which he hopes is only through retirement and without layoffs.

The Township Council currently has a copy of the budget proposal and will hold several meetings to review and discuss the impacts. The budget will be formally introduced at a council meeting Aug. 4.