Dear Editor:
It’s budget time again and I’d like to inform the community of recent developments and upcoming actions regarding the Borough of Haddonfield’s 2011 municipal budget.
The borough budget, as well as the Water and Sewer utility budget, was introduced on April 12 and will be the subject of a public hearing and final adoption at the commissioner’s meeting of Tuesday, May 10. In addition, I will hold a community budget briefing on Wednesday, May 4 at 7 p.m. for anyone interested in receiving a more in-depth review of this year’s spending plans.
Spending in this year’s $14.7 million budget is once again essentially flat — an increase of just over one-half percent for all appropriations except grants. This slight increase is despite required increases in pension payments, debt service payments and increased legal and redevelopment consulting costs. The effect on property taxes is minimal, with an expected increase of $87 over 2010 for an average property assessed at $491,000. This is under the new 2 percent tax levy increase law.
Changes in borough staffing, as well as decreases in the Department of Revenue and Finance, Department of Public Works, and Public Library appropriations, are reflected in this year’s budget. In addition, reductions and service changes for the Information Center, Municipal Court, Summer Recreation, Senior Center programming, and fall leaf pick-up are planned.
Two major changes to borough operations were instituted in the past year and helped us maintain level spending; operation of the municipal court, now shared with the Borough of Audubon; and trash pick-up, now outsourced to a private contractor. The savings from the court sharing agreement are expected to be more than $60,000 in each of the next three years, and savings from trash privatization are expected to be almost $800,000 over the next five years.
Employee salaries, benefits and pension payments make up about half of the budget, even as cost of living increases and longevity bonuses were put on hold for non-union employees for the past several years. This year, cost of living increases averaging to less than one percent will be granted to non-union employees and to our police officers, as stipulated by their union contract.
Road improvements continue to be a priority, with close to $1 million in spending — from cash appropriations, bond proceeds and grant receipts — planned for 2011. We also plan to utilize bond proceeds to finance a new public works truck and to purchase kiosks for downtown parking lots and Tanner Street. Capital expenditures for utility replacements (under our roads) are expected to total $1.3 million and are funded from the Water and Sewer capital fund.
While I know not everyone will be 100 percent satisfied with the 2011 municipal budget under consideration, I believe it is a responsible plan that reflects the realities of current state fiscal affairs and the economic conditions we all face as taxpayers. We can no longer fund every program, service and initiative that residents desire — we must make spending cuts in order to stay within the state cap law and hold property tax increases to a minimum.
I urge residents to contact me, Mayor Colombi or Commissioner Borden, or attend the meetings on May 4 or May 10, with any questions or comments you have regarding the 2011 borough budget.
Sincerely,
Commissioner Jeff Kasko
Director of Revenue and Finance
